Untamed
by Miss Fruit Loops
Summary: Darth Maul discovers a force sensitive untouched by the jedi. He decides to take her under his wing, intending to teach her the ways of the dark side. Perhaps Maul's little discovery will be useful one day.
1. Never to Return

**This is inspired by a roleplay I have had going on for a long while now. I felt that the story is so great that it just had to be put in story form. I have the rating set where it is because I don't want to be restricted by something lower. I plan to use the whole range of gore, language, and other mature themes. Also I think I should warn you that this is pretty alternate universe. Maybe more parallel. I'm not sure. There are probably going to be inaccuracies but I do research a lot of things to keep as much accuracy in the story as possible, but I also take some liberties. :P I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

His mission was complete. He had assassinated the man his master had sent him to kill. After covering his tracks, he headed back to the hangar he left the Infiltrator in. On his walk, the tiniest hint of force sensitivity tugged at his senses.

A padawan? But he was far from the jedi temple. That was practically on the other side of the planet. The padawan could, perhaps, be out here on a mission. But then why was he by himself? Sending a padawan out by themselves like this wasn't normally a jedi's style.

It could also be a trap. What if someone was trying to lure him out to them? Maul pitied the being that was foolish enough to do so. Either way, this was likely someone he should pursue and kill.

A couple hours of tracking the presence had led him to a theater. The building housed a permanent show that combined modern dance with gymnastics and circus elements. This particular show company was considered the crowning jewel of the theater industry. Cirque Aethereum.

As he neared the theater, he determined that the source of this force signature was backstage. He would have to wait for him to exit the premises before being able to move forward. The sith sat in the theater among the throngs of others, excitedly bantering about the impending performance.

* * *

A young woman held her breath as she waited for her music cue. The circus had begun. Several acrobats were leaping around the stage, accomplishing feats of near inhuman strength and agility. When their act was over, her act was introduced. She was the female lead of the show. Her male counterpart was waiting for the same cue at the opposite stage entrance. When it was time, she gracefully ballet stepped into the light, her long black hair trailing behind her as she ran to meet the male lead. They started with something like a ballet and progressed into something that was more unique. Not only was it a dance. It was also the beginning of a story. Various acts in between other acts introduced more and more of their characters.

After a couple of other acts, her next set began. Up in the air was a single rope that stretched across the length of the stage. The woman was in position of the left side of the stage, five levels up. Across from her, she could see her male counterpart looking back at her. When she received her cue, she placed a foot onto the rope, and then transferred her weight. Below her, there were no safety nets, harnesses, or anything to keep her from plummeting to the hard stage fifty feet below. As soon as the spotlight focused on her, she heard hushed whispers from the crowd, and saw a few point up at her. She closed her eyes and felt where the rope was, concentrating on each step. She didn't dare lose concentration when she was on the rope. She didn't know it, but she was using the force to sense where the rope was - seeing without seeing.

When she was toward the middle of the tightrope, she bounced on the rope a bit. She smiled a little when she heard gasps from the crowd below. The woman leaped into the air and the theater grew silent. She curved her body into a back flip. Using the Force, she found exactly where the rope was behind her and adjusted her feet so that she would hit the rope squarely when she landed. When she faced the crowd, she was greeted with applause.

She made her way to the side the male was on. Then, he walked out onto the rope with her right behind him. She had her hands on his shoulders so she could feel his sense of balance and match his every movement. This was critical in getting through this part without falling. About a third of the way out, She used her hands to jump up and then flip her body so that she was balancing on the head of the male with her hands. Her legs were above her and in an graceful position - toes pointed. She concentrated on the man supporting her while staying as still as she could. She listened to every nuance of his weight shifting across the rope in case he started losing balance so she could adjust herself to save it. They continued across the rope like this until its end. The two did several other astonishing acrobatics before the routine was over. When the two disappeared offstage, the theater was filled with enthusiastic applause.

Maul had sensed it. She was using the force. This woman was the one he was looking for. He didn't expect to find a force user in the form of an acrobat, but there she was. Now he was thinking it was possible that she wasn't affiliated with the jedi. Did the jedi reject her for some reason? Surely they would have recruited her as a youngling. Or was she indeed a padawan that was conducting a mission under the guise of a performer? He wondered.

The zabrak was impressed not so much by her use of the force, but her acrobatic skill. Not even all jedi could maneuver like she could. One fraction of a misstep, and she would tumble to her death.

With each passing act, he wondered more and more who this woman was. About halfway through the show, he had devised a plan to find out more about her. He needed to know why she was here. There had to be something about this girl that he didn't yet understand. He was thinking more and more that this was some kind of lure.

She did a trapeze routine and then came time for her final set - aerial dance. Two long lengths of blue silk were lowered to her level so she could grab on. Once she had a decent grip, the silk rose into the air, carrying her high up. She did several acrobatic tricks in the air, tumbling and twisting in the silk strands. At one point she had wrapped herself up and then let go, letting herself twirl toward the ground only to be caught by the end of the silk at the last moment.

When her counterpart entered the stage, he held onto one strand while she held onto the other. They both rose above the stage as if they were in flight. He used his weight to twirl her out and away from him. They came back together and completed some incredible stunts. The whole routine was beautifully choreographed and took some serious skill to do. The sith was even more impressed with the girl.

After their set, the show concluded. All the performers came onto stage to receive their applause. When the woman and man came out, the theater erupted into a standing ovation. The theater lights went dark for a few moments to allow their performers to dash offstage unseen. During this time, the zabrak left the seating area and exited the building.

Perched far above the exit, he waited. Completely enveloped in shadow, he was invisible. Soon, the girl came out. Since there were still people around, he stayed out of sight, but followed her.

* * *

Kairyn had sensed something wasn't quite right. She had no idea what it was so she didn't pay much mind to it. But she found herself clutching her bag close to her as she walked away from the theater. She had a couple of daggers in it for protection if she needed them. Her past life required her to carry them with her at all times. Now it was just habit. Her hand wrapped around the cool metal handle of one of them.

Kairyn wanted to get back to her apartment as soon as she could. She didn't know why her senses were telling her that she was in danger, but once in her home with the door firmly locked behind her, she would feel safe. Kairyn turned down a dark alleyway. It was more direct to her apartment but it wasn't an area she liked to visit so she normally avoided it. The acrobat picked up her pace. Her eyes were constantly scanning the area around her for motion. She was also listening with her sixth sense, the force. She didn't feel anyone around her but she couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Her instincts were validated.

All of the sudden, she couldn't breathe. She gasped for air but she couldn't draw in the oxygen she was desperately starting to need. The little acrobat clutched at her neck and found nothing, though there was a pressure squeezing the air from her lungs. Then, darkness itself, it would seem, stepped into the alleyway; its hand outstretched toward her. As soon as she saw the figure, she threw a dagger at it, hoping to at least distract it enough for her to flee. The sharp metal flew straight toward the creature's heart, but he caught it. As soon as the blade touched his gloved hand, Kairyn felt the pressure around her neck release. She leaned against the wall behind her, coughing and gasping. She had no time to recover. She needed to move.

As if the creature heard her thought, he lunged forward. Kairyn threw her second dagger, hoping to catch him off guard. In a single fluid motion, he ignited his double bladed lightsaber and struck down her outdated weapon. Before Kairyn could run more than a few feet away, he was upon her.

A strong, muscular arm caught her around the waist. The man flung her into the wall, using her momentum against her. The acrobat hit the wall hard. She would have fallen to the ground if it weren't for the hand that snatched her upper arm The creature held a searing red saber blade at her throat. Kairyn shrunk back toward the wall to try to get away from the glowing heat that was burning her skin. When he pressed the blade closer, she growled. "What do you want from me!?"

The look of rage in her eyes surprised the sith. This wasn't a padawan. A padawan wouldn't have that much hatred inside them.

In a dark and velvety voice, the zabrak asked, "What is your purpose here?" His glared unwaveringly into her eyes, their color obscured by the red glow.

Kairyn had no idea what he was talking about. "Purpose!? You tell me! You're the one who attacked me!" She growled.

Surely she had to be with someone that was trying to find him. If one of his enemies knew he was going to be here to assassinate that man, why wouldn't they try to trap him? He pressed his saber closer to her skin, purposely burning her.

When the blade bit into her skin, she growled and inadvertently sunk her claws into her attacker's hand, trying to push the weapon away from her. She pushed back on the hilt of his saber with all of her strength but it didn't matter. She wasn't nearly strong enough to stop it. At that moment she realized that this man was probably going to kill her and there wasn't really anything she could do about it.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" She shouted at him. She didn't have the information he was looking for. At the moment, Kairyn didn't know if that was a good or a bad thing.

Not convinced that she wasn't just good at lying, Maul closed his eyes and entered her mind. He was prepared to fight through her mental barriers, but he found no obstructions. He was easily able to penetrate her consciousness.

Kairyn felt darkness enter her mind. She couldn't explain how but she could feel it sifting through her thoughts. Was it possible that this man was in her mind? She stared into his eyes, golden rimmed with crimson, as she wondered.

He found anger. She was afraid of him but more angered by the fact that he was doing this to her, and even more angered that she couldn't fight it. Her hatred ran strong. He searched her thoughts and found nothing of treachery. It was possible that she was just as she appeared to be. A young woman with untapped potential.

"What is your name?" He asked her.

"Remove your weapon from my throat and I might tell you." She glared.

The zabrak narrowed his eyes. She was a defiant one. Arrogance in the face of danger. The girl would learn soon enough. "Tell me your name and perhaps I will allow you to live." He drew out the menacing words.

Deciding that she had no choice but to satisfy his query, the acrobat obliged. "Kairyn Alaina Farthou." She glared into his eyes.

"It's amazing that the jedi never found you. I wonder why… Do you know?" She had a natural talent for acrobatics that would translate well into saber combat. He really did wonder why she hadn't been recruited.

"No." She answered, her voice low.

"You have two options Kairyn Alaina Farthou." He tested the way her name sounded."Come with me, or be destroyed." His lips curled into a sneer. "Choose wisely."

Anger flashed in her eyes. "That's not much of a choice!" Was she really supposed to just drop everything and go with this man? She couldn't do it but then again, she had to. She didn't doubt that this man would actually kill her. First she needed to know exactly what was going to happen. "What are you planning to do with me?"

Too many questions… But she didn't yet know that questions such as these were unnecessary and unwanted. "I will teach you to use the dark side of the force. In time, you will become a woman worth fearing." He drew his saber blades back into the hilt.

Her neck began to feel cooler now that there wasn't a blade of energy threatening it. There was still a burn but Kairyn was more concerned with her situation and the man's proposition. "How long will I be away for?" She asked. She would probably need to quit her job, and she was under contract until the season was over.

"You won't be returning." He stated flatly.

Immediately, Kairyn went on a tirade. "You can't just expect me to leave my whole life behind! I have a home! I've finally reached the top at my job! And I have no idea -" He cut her off with a growl.

"I do not have time for your complaining." He ignited his blade once again. "Make your decision or my blade and I shall make one for you." He gripped the hilt of his lightsaber.

Now a bit of fear had found its way into the little circus performer. That red glow... She hated that glow already, along with the crack-hum sound of a lightsaber being ignited. She hadn't realized it but her whole body had tensed. This time, when he made his offer again, she replied, "Very well." But her eyes held a rueful light. For now all she could do was bide her time. Perhaps an opportunity would arise to slip away and lose him. She was sure that this man spelled danger for her. She needed to get away from him.

"I am offering you great power, Kairyn. All of this is trivial compared to what your future holds." He noticed that her thoughts had drifted toward escaping him. He would need to watch her carefully. He grabbed her by the wrist. "We are wasting time." He tugged her away while she protested. At one point, she started prattling on about laws and how he would be imprisoned for this and such. "Do I look like a being that cares about laws?" He snapped at her.

"Who are you?" She asked. Who was this man that he could have such complete disregard for the Republic's authority?

With a savage grin, the zabrak replied, "I am Darth Maul."

Kairyn only vaguely knew what 'Darth' meant. She had read about great warriors in the past with such a title. But these warriors were known for terrible things.

He tapped at a couple of buttons on his comlink. Only a few moments later, an unmanned speederbike came into view. Maul swung a leg over the vehicle and then pulled the acrobat on behind him. He didn't design the bike to carry two people so it was tight. He would manage. The girl was small after all.

Pressed so close to the sith, Kairyn could feel that he was more muscular than she would have imagined. His form felt like it was made of stone, but he was also warm. Warmer than what she thought was a healthy temperature. He didn't look ill though. The sound of his voice cut through her thoughts. "I have two hearts and a high metabolism."

Kairyn was astounded that he had answered her thoughts. "Are-are you in my head?" He must have been listening to her thoughts somehow. How was that possible?

"When you have no obstructions to your thoughts, yes, It's easy to get inside your head." He then took off on the speederbike. Kairyn reflexively wrapped her arms around him to steady herself.


	2. First Lesson

The two arrived at a hangar some time later. Maul helped the girl off the back of his speeder bike, and then sent it off into the Infiltrator's cargo hold. Maul stepped onto the ramp and ascended into the ship. He stopped at the top of the ramp, waiting for the girl.

Kairyn began to follow the sith but stopped before reaching the ramp. She looked back at the glittering planet she had called home for many years now. All of it was about to disappear forever. She would never see those who had made up her family again. Over the years, she had become so close to those she worked with. Her mentor in particular was like a father to her.

"Kairyn." Maul called to her, growing impatient.

Kairyn stepped toward the ramp, looking over her shoulder a couple of times again. Once inside, Maul pressed a button that drew the ramp up into the ship, sealing her in.

The sith led her through the ship and toward a small room that looked like it could be a prison cell. "Place your bag in there." He instructed her. She obeyed, wondering how long she was going to be staying in the tiny room.

"Come with me." He began to move toward the lift.

Kairyn found herself in the cockpit of the ship. It had a pilot's seat and a passenger's seat. He motioned to the later for Kairyn to sit in. She sat down and drew her legs up to her chest. Maul took the pilot's chair and pressed lots of buttons on the control panel. Kairyn didn't understand any of it. having never flown a starship before.

"Buckle yourself in." This, she also did. Knowing her, she would fly out of the seat upon takeoff without it. "Where are we going?"

"Korriban."

She had never heard of that place before. She assumed it was on a different planet since they were aboard a star ship. "What is Korriban like?" She hadn't done much traveling. She had only ever been on her homeworld and Coruscant.

Maul thought for a moment. How best to describe what was Korriban… "Korriban is… a desert planet. It was home to the ancient sith and is still heavily tethered to the dark side of the force. To put it simply, on Korriban whatever doesn't kill you only tries harder to kill you."

Kairyn's expression reflected the words, 'are you serious?' "What are we going to be doing in a place like that?!" Her voice carried a heavy sense of urgency.

Maul hesitated to answer. "You will be left there alone for a week. If you survive, then you get the privilege of continued training." He knew this was going to spark a whole new invective from the acrobat. He sneered as she puffed up like an angry bird.

"You have GOT to be kidding me!" She would have stood up for this if they weren't currently entering hyperspace. "You take me from my entire life, shattering it in one night just to leave me somewhere that will probably KILL ME!?" Her irate voice bounced off the cockpit's walls. "Take me back now!" She demanded.

The zabrak paid her no attention as he made sure the autopilot was set correctly and that they were safely in hyperspace, but damn the girl could be loud. He had no idea that such a small female was able to produce such a sound. Anger rolled off of her in abundance. He smirked at this. Anger was good. Though, this notion that she could berate him and then give him commands had to be swiftly corrected.

Darth Maul stood up, facing the acrobat. His golden eyes locked onto hers. He felt her anger wither into fear as she began to realize what she had done. He used the force to unlatch her seat belt.

The acrobat rose from her seat and backed away toward the lift. Apprehension gripped her, refusing to let her ignore the threat in front of her. She couldn't look away from his brilliantly menacing eyes. He stalked toward her, slow and consistent, and then he crossed the space between them all at once. His hand latched around her wrist, forcing it to her back. His other arm held her around her torso, cementing her body against his.

He placed his lips at her ear, his warm breath ghosting across her skin. "I am your master." He said in a near whisper. "You do not command me." He squeezed her wrist harder, nearly snapping the bones under his hand. The hybrid gasped in pain and tried, to no avail, to wrench herself from his hold. "Your next outburst will be severely punished. Do I make myself clear?"

She was beginning to realize that the only way to survive was to bend to his terms. At least for now. Kairyn had no intention of spending a minute more than she had to with this creature. The acrobat held on to the thought of a successful escape. Then she could start a new life somewhere else. 'I've been in impossible situations before.' She reminded herself. 'This too I will rise above. I just need to find the right moment.' Instead of properly acknowledging the Sith and his terms, she stayed silent. Kairyn wasn't feeling entirely compliant with her arm pinned uncomfortably to her back.

The sith released the girl, still watching her with a judging glare. Taming her wasn't going to be easy. So far she had shown that she was particularly strong-willed. Even now she was determined to elude her fate. 'In time, that will change.' He thought, knowing that this chance was not something he should give up so easily. She could be useful. He could use her for reconnaissance, as an assassin, or even a pretty face when his lack of social grace impeded him. He would work with her, but he could not allow her nature to get in the way. Though if the girl's personality was set in stone, there wasn't much he could do with her aside from termination.

The sith let Kairyn go suddenly, leaving her to stretch out her previously trapped arm. "Now. Unless you want to die on Korriban, your training begins immediately." The sith removed his outer robes and draped them on the back of the pilot's chair. The acrobat watched him closely. She hardly moved save for her eyes. She wondered if he was going to attack her. He looked like he might at any moment, the way he stalked about the cabin. Everything about him reminded her of a great feline pursuing its prize. He was definitely a predator.

Approaching her, she was almost certain he was going to spring into the offensive. Instead, he grasped the pendant that hung from her neck. Kairyn's eyes flared with anger. If she didn't know better, she'd try to pry his hand off of it.

The zabrak turned the peculiar stone over in his hand. How strange it was for her to have something such as this. A small blue crystal glowed softly in its silver cage made of artistically wrapped wire. "Where did you get this?" He asked, glaring into her eyes.

Kairyn frowned. "My mother gave it to me. Her father gave it to her." She shifted uncomfortably under his judging gaze.

"Do you know what this is?" The sith asked.

Kairyn didn't think it was particularly out of the ordinary. Sure it was pretty, but there were several known minerals that illuminated in darkness so she figured it was hardly unique. "It's a crystal." She responded.

"And?" He urged her to speak more on the subject.

"And it was my grandfather's." There wasn't anything else to tell.

After several moments, Maul determined that she really didn't know what the crystal's significance was. He unclasped the delicate chain from her neck.

Kairyn reached to snatch it back. "Hey! You can't just-"

"If you want it back," he cut her off. "Then retrieve it." He set the crystal necklace on the table in the passenger seating area. She gave him a look of confusion, sensing that there was more to this than simply picking it up.

She was right. The Sith invited her to take a seat next to him before the table. "Have you ever done anything that unexplainably defies physics?" He knew she could use the force to sense things about her environment but could she command it to alter the environment? He wondered.

"Ummm." She thought. There had been instances in which she thought she had drawn something toward herself or pushed something away. She had always just thought it was a trick of her mind or nothing at all.

He observed that she was taking time to answer, meaning that she had quite possibly done so. He felt for her thoughts through the force to confirm his suspicions.

Kairyn didn't know where to even begin. The task set before her seemed impossible, but she had witnessed several impossible things this evening alone. She looked to the sith, hoping for more guidance.

Maul recognized the look of puzzlement on her face. "You already use the force feeling the world around you. This is the same energy. Feel it but concentrate it on your necklace and your hand. Command it to make the two meet."

Kairyn felt silly but tried to move the necklace. She stretched her arm outward and in her mind, commanded it to come to her. But, it wouldn't come. She tried again and still the necklace was unmoved. With a frustrated growl, the acrobat tried again but only made the pendant jolt slightly.

Maul turned his attention to the necklace. She moved it which was more than he expected of her. Maul was sure that it would have taken her hours to get to that point. The sith was pleasantly surprised. But it seemed she wasn't impressed with her accomplishment. He found her to be in a state of frustration. She required perfection from herself. This was good.

She tried a few more times with similar results. After a few minutes, she said, "Can you show me? I'm missing something."

He glanced at her to make sure she was watching, and then telekinetically brought the pendant to his palm. He set it back across the table. "Think about the way you aim when throwing those daggers of yours. I felt you use the force to guide them. Instead of expelling your dagger, bring your necklace toward you with similar energy."

Kairyn watched carefully, noting how his hand was positioned. But he did it so fast that there really wasn't much to observe. She was now thinking that asking for a demonstration wasn't that great of an idea, becoming even more frustrated with herself since he made it look so easy. It made her attempt look pathetic. While she should have been excited at getting the necklace to move at all, she was not. She had to get it right, or not at all. But now at least she knew it could be done. She tried again, this time emulating the zabrak. After about a minute, she made virtually no progress. She got the necklace to flip over and spin toward her a bit. But the thing still didn't come to her. She physically set the necklace back and tried again, only to have it only flip over once more. She tried a third time, her frustration rising. She made only a little more progress but still couldn't get it to come to her. With a growl, Kairyn angrily pushed herself up off the ground and began to pace around the small room, stopping by one of the windows. Not picking up on something that looked so easy was hard for her.

"Focus on your anger." He ordered. "Use it to fuel your actions through the force." He saw that she was trying to clear her head so she could approach it a little more calmly. She might find it odd but that wasn't what she needed to do.

Kairyn thought about his words. Anger wasn't something she had experience harnessing. She was mad that she couldn't move the necklace when this creature could do it as easily as breathing. Figuring it was worth a shot, she concentrated in this feeling and then on the force.

Kairyn walked over to the table, gazing at her pendant intently. She could feel the force around her. It seemed to be reacting to her emotions, energized by her anger. Once more, she held her hand outward and commanded the force to bring her the pendant. The little wire wrapped crystal reacted violently this time. It flung upward about six feet and then fell back to the table, rolling toward her. Suddenly, Kairyn yelled out in frustration.

The sith lord looked to Kairyn, to the necklace, and back to Kairyn. He was both surprised and fascinated with the rate she was learning. He could feel how close she was. Though she almost had it, she was still frustrated. Though she was doing far better than he expected, he wasn't going to tell her this. In a hesitant tone, he commanded, "One more time." He watched her closely.

Kairyn once again fixed her attention to the pendant. She did everything she did previously but altered the way she did it slightly. 'Maybe like this...' She thought. The acrobat felt the force flowing through her now. She felt like it was ready to be commanded. She reached toward the necklace and mentally compelled the force to do exactly what she wanted. To her astonishment, the pendant flew to her hand like it was magnetic.

Maul was pleased. The girl was difficult to deal with, but he could teach her. "Now, I want you to push it away from you."

Kairyn groaned. She had just gotten the hang of one thing and now it was right off to learning something else. She placed the necklace on the table and then thought about how she was going to go about doing this. It was just about the same thing in theory. She had gotten the force to do what she wanted. She just had to do the same thing with a different command. 'Easy enough, right?' She tried it out but only managed to get the thing to flip over.

Maul watched her thinking process. "Use the force. Don't try to reason with it. It is a tool for you to command."

The hybrid frowned. He was in her head again. "Hey! Stay out of my head." She glared at him. Knowing he could tell what she was thinking was distracting.

"If you want me to stay out of your head, shield your mind. Otherwise, you're an open book." He snapped. "Now continue unless you want to be eaten by a Tarentatek.

Kairyn hadn't heard that word before. "A what now?"

Maul sighed. "A rancor-like creature on Korriban that feeds on the blood of force sensitives, such as yourself."

Feeling uneasy about what she could soon be facing, she decided that continuing was in her best interest. She made more progress, but like before, it wasn't fast enough.

Kairyn tried again and again with limited success. Each time she got a little bit closer, but it wasn't quite there. Then, finally, she got it right. She force pushed the necklace away from her and off the table. She looked to Maul to see if he approved but his stony expression revealed nothing.

"Is that it?" She asked him, unsure of what exactly he was looking for.

"It's a start." He said simply. The sith stood up and motioned for her to get up as well. Kairyn faced him, wondering what was next.

"Now, try to push me." He stood facing her squarely, sure that she wouldn't be able to.

Kairyn planted her feet, and sent a weak force push in his direction. She didn't want to make him mad by hurting him, but then again, she doubted she could hurt him.

Maul was unmoved. He raised a brow at her half-hearted attempt. "That was pathetic."

Kairyn growled and tried again, less concerned about hurting him. But again, he didn't budge. Maul sighed. "I should save myself the effort of training you and just kill you now. You're just going to die either way."

"That's what you think!" She said as she sent a significantly stronger force push in his direction. Kairyn was determined to survive.

He hardly moved but it was progress. At least he could definitely feel it this time. "I'm a lot bigger than a necklace. You'll have to try much harder than that if you want to live.

She tried again and again but she still couldn't knock him off his feet. He swayed slightly but that was all.

"Again." He said, waiting for her to make more promising progress.

Kairyn mustered up as much anger as she could and used it to fuel her efforts. Still, not a whole lot happened.

"Focus more on your anger." He glared at her. "Do I need to further emphasize the consequences of not learning this?"

She knew her chances of surviving Korriban might be low. This did motivate her, but she simply didn't know how to make her force push stronger. She was trying with everything she had but it still wasn't enough.

Seeing that she really was stumped on this one, Maul thought for a moment. He needed to alter his strategy if she was going to learn this. He also took into account that she was likely tired after the day she had. Several hours had passed since he had taken her. Perhaps tomorrow would produce better results. "That's enough for today."

Kairyn didn't feel good about abandoning her task while she was still so bad at it but she couldn't argue with her biological need for sleep. She was exhausted though her mind was still reeling from all that had happened today. Maul pressed a button on the wall and a door opened up into an elevator. He pushed her inside and then stepped in himself. The elevator opened up into a circular area with several doors. He opened one and indicated that it was to be her room. She entered the room and noticed that there really wasn't much there. A small cot, a simple pillow, and… well, that was it. She wondered if it was actually a holding cell rather than a room meant for guests. He abruptly shut the door behind her and locked it. 'Yup. This is a holding cell.' She thought as she slumped down on the cot.

* * *

Kairyn was mostly unable to sleep. Her thoughts kept plaguing her. No matter how hard she tried to clear her mind, she couldn't get it to slow down. So much had happened today that changed her life forever, and so much about her future was uncertain. She was in a terrifying predicament with virtually no way out. All she could do was face it and hope she survived. But even then, if she survived what would her life become? More of the same? Kairyn tossed and turned most of the night, unable to shake all of these new fears from her thoughts.

In the next room, Maul could practically hear her racing mind. Her emotions were running so strong that it was hard to ignore. Eventually, the sith lord fell asleep.


	3. Hard Knocks

Flashes of her past were brought to the forefront of her dreams. It was as if she was living in her past. She saw her father, a kind, tall, and handsome man. He was defending his family while young Kairyn and her two sisters hid in a closet. She watched through the door's vents as the several men struck him down. From his knees, he struggled to find his footing. Kairyn's heart sank as she knew what was about to happen. She had seen this before. She knew how this ended. The hybrid wanted more than anything to jump out of that closet and help fend off these criminals. With all her might she tried to move but it was as if her feet were glued to the floor. As her father was fatally shot, Kairyn's mouth fell open into a scream. But nothing came out.

Maul's voice cut through the haze of emotions and memories. "Yell all you want." He chuckled menacingly. "There is nothing you can do to bring him back. You're too weak to save him."

These words cut her deeply. Years ago, she was too weak. But she was also young.

Her world shifted to show her a different memory. This one was of her mother. A slaver was trying to take advantage of their fatherless family. This man thought he could easily round up the widow and her children. Their mother fought bravely using nothing more than a pair of daggers. She almost had the man, but he had gained the upper hand, ending her life. Again, Kairyn's heart was crushed as she was forced to watch but unable to do anything. She felt so profoundly powerless and frustrated.

Kairyn begun to wake up. Something was wrong. She opened her eyes to see the sith leaning against the threshold of her room. His glowing eyes fixed on her. "What are you doing?" She dazedly asked, confused as to why he was watching her.

"This." He said as she was plunged into another memory of hers. When she realized what he was doing, she fought it. She stood up and mentally pushed him out of her mind just long enough for her to stumble toward him. Rage gripped her, urging her to hurt the sith. How dare he?

In a flash, he pushed her backward with the force. She hit the wall behind her and fell back onto the cot. Before she could figure out what happened, he was on top of her, holding her down. He held both of her wrists in one hand, above her head. "Why are you doing this!?" The acrobat exclaimed. His weight bore down on her uncomfortably. Then, she felt darkness enter her mind again.

Now, she saw her two sisters, Leela and Kialia. They were identical twins. Both had their mother's beautiful white hair and their father's blue eyes. She loved them dearly. Since their mother had been murdered, Kairyn had been taking care of them. For three years, she had protected them from the world. She had taken up her mother's daggers and learned how to use them. But this time... she wasn't strong enough.

They were caught stealing food again and now the local law enforcement was after them. The girls found their way back to Kairyn. They were terrified and as soon as Kairyn heard the voices, she knew why. "Run!" She told the girls as she grabbed her daggers. She was going to buy them time so they could hide. Then she would join them later. But Kairyn didn't realize that there were too many men following them. She was surrounded by five officers. She tried to fight, but a couple of them were able to restrain her as the other three went after the girls. When she heard blaster fire, her eyes grew wide. She thrashed in the man's arms to try to help her sisters but she couldn't get out of their hold. Kairyn finally slipped out of the binders around her wrists. She slashed at the man holding her. He immediately let go and Kairyn tore after her sisters.

She didn't get very far before she found them. Both Leela and Kialia were laying on the metal ground. Kairyn's whole world shattered that day. The men started shooting at her, but she was able to dart away. She didn't want to leave her little sisters but she would die too if she stuck around. Though her vision was blurred by tears, she found her way to safety. All of the emotions that she felt then, she felt now. Her heart was so broken that she nearly lost the will to keep on going.

"Stop it." She said in a muted voice. She didn't care why he was doing this anymore. She just needed it to stop. He was reopening wounds that had scarred over long ago.

"Remember how your sister's murderer smirked at you?" He prodded. "Remember how he stood over their bodies victoriously?"

"Shut up!" She yelled at him.

He delved back into her memories, bringing them forth again. He intended to keep making her relive them over and over until he got the results he was looking for.

"Stop it!" Kairyn shouted.

Maul sneered at her. "If you want me to stop, then you have to make me." He tightened his grip on her, sending her images of the bodies. A pool of scarlet spreading around them, staining their beautiful long white hair.

"ENOUGH!" Kairyn screamed as she furiously sent the force outward, expelling the zabrak from her with more strength than even he was looking for. He landed on his feet with a grin on his face.

Kairyn was breathing heavily, trying to collect herself again. But part of her wanted to tear into the man before her. The other part knew better.

"Remember your anger. Never let go of it. Anger will be your greatest ally." He offered her a hand to help her up. "Come. We have much more to do."

The hybrid refused his hand, standing on her own. After what he just did, she wasn't about to allow him to help her to her feet.

Maul stayed silent. He observed her defiance with a frown on his brow. He wanted to break the little acrobat of her habit of insolence, but he predicted it would pass.

He could tell that she was still pissed. As he led her through the ship he could feel it emanating from her. That was good. The more rage he could bring forth from her, the stronger she would become.

* * *

When the two reached the passenger seating area, he begun to teach her about different ways she could apply the force. Among these applications were speed, agility, and more distinctly, keeping warm in cold environments and scaring off predators with a force scream.

Concerned that she might be needed these abilities, Kairyn asked, "What is this planet like?" Realizing that she asked a pretty broad question, she added, "What kind of predators will I run into?"

Maul didn't want to give too much away. He wanted to test her ability to observe and adapt to the unknown. "Korriban is a cold and dry planet that was once home to the sith purebloods and the old sith empire. Now all that remains are ruins guarded by vicious creatures. Tuk'ata, shyracks, wraids, hssiss, and tarentatek all inhabit Korriban."

"Taren...tatek." She repeated, having not heard of any of these creatures before.

"Tarentatek are much like rancors, but stronger, smarter, and force resistant. They feed exclusively from the blood of force sensitives, much like yourself." He smirked grimly. The girl looked concerned.

"How do you expect me to survive that?" She inquired fearfully.

"I don't." He said simply. "Your only chance is to not be noticed by one." He fully expected a terentatek to tear her apart. She wouldn't be able to outrun one, and without a lightsaber, she had no way of piercing its hide.

Her eyes grew wide. There was no way. He was sending her to her death. "You can't just leave me in a place like that!" She yelled.

Maul growled. Her audacity was getting on his nerves again. He knocked her backward with a sudden force push. "I can." He clarified, "And I will. You'd best prepare yourself while you can."

For the next few hours, the sith taught these concepts to Kairyn. She picked them up quickly, as he was now expecting from her, but she would have to perfect all of this on her own.

* * *

The zabrak moved toward the ship's control console when it alerted him that they were about to drop out of hyperspace.

When the swirling blue vortex turned into stars again, Kairyn's heart sank. They must be near Korriban. Maul must have picked up on this because the next thing he said was, "We're just stopping to refuel."

Kairyn let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. But this new information presented her with a new challenge. This would be her only chance to escape. If she was left on Korriban, she would die. It was now or never. But could she do it?

Maul steered the Infiltrator into the docking bay of a large space station. Kairyn watched through the window. She observed carefully, noting exits and potential places to hide. She needed a solid plan, and she needed to come up with it fast. 'Okay. I'm heading into a spaceport.' She thought. 'What do I have available to me?' Obviously, there would be starships from all over the galaxy. She could easily stow away on one of them, but in order to get away before Maul noticed, it would have to be one leaving shortly.

Once the ship was parked, Maul stood. "Stay here and practice what I have taught you." He ordered. Maul gave her an incredulous glance before he disembarked.

Kairyn stayed in the passenger seating area, glaring after him. Did he really expect her to stay in the ship? 'He may be fearsome but he really is daft.' She thought.

After he was gone, Kairyn dashed out of the Infiltrator. She kept a vigilant eye out for the sith lord as she moved among the crowds of travelers. The hybrid searched for signs pointing the way to other terminals. If she could get away from this area completely, she'd feel a little safer. Then she could search for a starship that was ready to leave.

The hybrid made her way through the spaceport, amazed by the number of starships around. She wondered about the different places they would take her. She even thought about choosing one based on where it was heading. If she could, she might as well pick one that was going somewhere exciting.

Maul followed the girl. He knew from the moment the thought popped into her head, that she was going to try something like this. He just thought that maybe self preservation would prevent her from actually doing it. He knew how he was going to stop her, but he needed her to enter a secluded area to do it. After what he did to Qui-Gon on Naboo, he was sure that if he was noticed, jedi would come looking for him. As much as he welcomed a challenge, especially one involving the oportunity to kill more jedi, he couldn't endanger his master's plans. He needed to preserve the semblance of his death.

After a little while, he followed his apprentice into a dark corridor.

* * *

Kairyn wandered the spaceport, not caring much where she was going. After some time, she found a dim hallway that led to a larger area. Was she in a different terminal now? Either way, she figured she was far away enough that it would be difficult to find her. She stayed in the hallway, looking at the different starships. Near one of them, a few men were loading what looked like the last of their cates into the cargo hold. 'This one looks-

From the left, something struck her hard and gripped every muscle in her body. Wild arcs of bright white lightning tore through her. The agonizing pain brought Kairyn to the ground. Her body convulsed involuntarily, even after Maul had stopped. It took several minutes for her to regain control of her muscles. The sith stood over her, staring down at her with those glowing golden eyes.

"You really thought you were going to get away from me." He stated. He grabbed her by the arm and lifted her to her feet. She staggered, not yet able to support herself on her own. Her muscles were still weak and her balance was severely compromised, not to mention the amount of pain she was in. She relied on the sith to hold her upright as she was led back onto the Infiltrator.

Maul opened the door to her holding cell and then forced her down onto the middle of the cot. He produced a length of chain from the underside of the cot. Though she struggled, he slipped one of her wrists into the manacle. He did the same with the other. She growled, yanking the chains in anger. Her wrists were bound on either side of her, forcing her to stay sitting.

"I knew that you were planning to run." He smirked. "From the moment I mentioned refueling, I watched as you frantically put together a poor escape plan."

"Then why didn't you lock me up before leaving?" She saw a major hole in his logic. If he knew, and didn't want her escaping, then why let her try? It was like he was just waiting for her to step off the ship. Maybe he did it just so he would have a reason to hurt her.

"I wanted to see if you were stupid enough to carry through." He drew closer, reaching out to stroke her cheek. "And, I don't need a reason to hurt you my little apprentice." She flinched, as if she was expecting him to strike her. Her gaze fell away from him. While her eyes were cast downward, she caught sight of her left arm. Red marks feathered down from her shoulder to the tips of her fingers. He marked her. And these markings weren't going to heal. Eventually they would fade to white but they would always be there…

Maul too noticed this. It pleased him to know that he had permanently marked his apprentice. Her hair had fallen into her face, hindering her vision, and her arms were bound so she couldn't do anything about it. The sith lord gently smoothed her raven hair behind her ear revealing a dark blue glare. For the first time, he got a really good look at her. Even while scowling, she was beautiful. And her eyes. They were a dark piercing blue with a bright starburst pattern.

His warm touch was a stark contrast to the cool air in the cell. It was almost welcome. His voice cut through her thoughts. "If you try to escape again, know that your punishment will be much more severe."

The sith lord left the room and shut the cell door behind him, leaving her in darkness.

* * *

Kairyn waited in the cell for what seemed like ages. She couldn't see much. The only light filtering into the room was from the crack under the door. The hybrid yanked on the chains again but knew that it was useless. She was only hurting herself more.

For a long while, she had nothing to preoccupy herself with, save for her wandering thoughts. She thought about her situation and how the hell she got into this mess. For that, she had no answer to. It seemed that fate was especially cruel for Kairyn. But, the past twenty four hours have been interesting if nothing else. She had discovered a few things she wasn't able to do before. Kairyn reflected on all that she had learned about the force. Then, she wondered. She could bring objects to her and push them away. Could she affect them as well? Feeling the weight of cold metal around her wrists, she speculated…

Kairyn concentrated on the force. She visualized the manacles fettering her to the cot. Then, she commanded the force to unlock them. At first, nothing happened. She could feel the metal vibrating slightly against her skin; progress, but it wasn't enough. She concentrated harder, using all of her willpower. To her astonishment, the locking mechanism clicked open on both shackles. The hybrid wobbled to her feet and rubbed her wrists.

Her next task was the door.

Kairyn repeated her actions with the door lock, but she could feel that it was different than the chains. It was almost as if… it was resisting her. She tried harder and harder until there was nothing more she could do. The door wasn't going to give. 'Did he do something to it?' She wondered. Was that even possible? The hybrid kept trying the door. She didn't know how but she could feel it pushing back. Ultimately, she realized that she wasn't going to get through the door. The best thing she could do right now was to rest. After getting hit with sith lightning, her body ached. Kairyn curled up on the cot and waited.

* * *

A few hours later, the sith returned. He opened the door to the holding cell to see that his apprentice had escaped the chains. He didn't expect her to, but he had a suspicion that she might. The girl definitely learned faster than most. He wondered if it was an anomaly or that she wasn't entirely human. He recalled how in her memories her mother and sisters had white hair. Human's didn't have white hair at such a young age. It wasn't uncommon for a human to have a little something else in them these days, but he wished he could pinpoint exactly what it was. He made a mental note to see what he could find on her later. The more he knew about this girl, the better.

"Why can't I open the door?" His apprentice asked. Her voice was filled with frustration.

"The door is designed to be force resistant. If I ever have to detain a jedi, they won't be getting out." He tossed a bundle of clothing at her. She looked at the bundle and then back to Maul. "I assume you want clean clothes to change into. When you have changed, meet me in the cockpit. The sith left the room, leaving the door open.

Once he left, Kairyn inspected the clothing he had procured for her. It all seemed to be in her size. Loose fitting black garments that were easy to move in. Kairyn preferred clothing that fit tightly and stretched with her movements. If she survived, she could find more suitable clothing later on. After changing, she found Maul in the cockpit. The center table had been moved up against the wall, leaving a little bit of space for what she assumed he would be using to teach her.

"On Korriban, you will face monstrous creatures that will try to kill you. You are going to have to fight them if you want to survive." He considered asking her what combat experience she had, but he figured it was best to have her face him head on. The sith tossed her the dagger she had with her when he took her. "Now. Try to kill me."

Kairyn didn't know how to proceed. She couldn't use her dagger to throw as she had become quite good at. In such close quarters, she wasn't sure how effective she could be. After all, she was a near-human female and stood little chance against a male Zabrak. On top of that, she was still feeling pretty terrible.

Before she could work out what she was doing, the sith lord jumped into action. She hardly had enough time to dodge his first right hook. "Your enemies won't care if you are injured or not. They will try to kill you either way." He said. The hybrid had to admit that he had a point. Kairyn used the force to establish her surroundings and her relation to them. Through the pain, she forced herself to flip backwards, and step up the wall to launch herself toward the zabrak with her dagger poised to attack. Maul twisted around and kicked the acrobat away from him. WIth a growl, Kairyn got back up and rushed at him again. The sith took a hold of her dagger arm and used her momentum to send her off balance, into the metal wall on the opposite side of the cabin. "You'll have to do much better than that."

Even though she was getting quite battered, she didn't stop trying. Kairyn rose to her feet again. The acrobat leaped toward him, but at the last moment, she changed direction and aimed for his abdomen. Though she was doing better, Maul was still able to easily evade her. While he was turned away, Kairyn used the force to push him away from her. It wasn't as strong as this morning, but she managed to move him a half meter away.

In response, he sprang at his apprentice, ready to knock her to the ground once again. As if she knew it was going to happen a moment before it did, Kairyn sidestepped out of the way and slashed at him with her dagger. Maul caught her dagger hand in his. He overpowered the girl and pointed her dagger at her chest. He held it there, making sure not to use too much force, lest he actually hurt her. A stronger force push sailed into Maul. He let it expel him from Kairyn.

The two continued to spar for several more minutes. The next time Kairyn attacked, he grabbed onto her arm, holding her immobile. "That's enough." He said, deciding his knowledge of her abilities was sufficient. He let her go so she could regain her equilibrium. He disappeared from the room coming back with a glass of water. The sith offered it to Kairyn who took it thankfully.

Maul led her back to the center of the room and then faced her. "When in combat, it's important to know where your strengths and weaknesses are. You are fast and agile. You also seem to know how to use your environment to your advantage, but you are weak and untrained." He knew that last bit was going to anger her. She was about to argue when Maul continued. "For a woman, yes, you are moderately strong, but that's not good enough." She couldn't argue with that. "Eventually I may teach you how to use the force to overcome this." He didn't have the time to teach this to her before he planned to drop her on Korriban. If she was smart enough, she wouldn't need it.

"It is also wise to know what parts of your body are the strongest. Your elbow, the heel of your hand, the outer side of your hand, fist, knee, and heel." He pointed some of them out as he spoke. "On most creatures, the trachea is vulnerable. If you can land a knife-fist blow to this area," He demonstrated, bringing his hand to her neck. "it'll likely stun your enemy." Even a little bit of pressure there made her feel uncomfortable. She could tell that a move like that could inflict a lot of damage.

"If you use enough force, snapping your elbow into the base of a creature's skull could potentially break its neck." He turned around her and also demonstrated this, only touching his elbow to her neck. "And thirdly, this area right here," He reached around her, placing a couple of fingers at her center, just a couple of inches below her chest. "is where your diaphragm is." He pressed just slightly. She shifted, feeling really uneasy. Like her neck, she could feel that a hit here would be excruciating. "If you can hit here, your opponent won't be able to breathe for several seconds. Maybe longer."

He moved away from her. "But, most of the creatures you'll be facing are four-legged, so hitting the solar plexus probably won't be an option.

Maul taught her a few other things before he offered to let her spar with him again. Every now and then, he would stop her to show her something new, or a better way or doing what she was trying to do. For the first time, Maul thought that she had a decent shot at surviving Korriban.


	4. Korriban Part 1

Inevitably, the Infiltrator closed in on Korriban. Kairyn didn't think she was even close to being ready for this, but Maul was going to leave her here whether she was ready or not. She had been voicing her concerns all morning to which Maul simply responded, "Either you hit the ground running, or you die." He meant that figuratively of course. But he didn't downplay the threat of death.

The sith took over the controls for the landing. He carefully guided the starship down to the surface of the dusty red planet. The sith could feel her fear. She was terrified of what lay ahead. To be honest, she would be a fool to feel otherwise.

Once the Infiltrator touched down on Korriban, Maul handed her dagger to her. That was the only personal item she was allowed to take with her. The sith opened the loading ramp and led her down, onto the ancient planet's rocky ground. "I will come back for you in one week's time. On the seventh day, be here when the sun is highest in the sky, or I will assume you dead."

Her heart was racing. The air was cool though the sun was out, and there was nothing but stone ruins, sand, and rock in sight. The first thing she noticed is that there was absolutely no water. "How am I supposed to find-

"You'll find a way." He said as he headed back to the Infiltrator, quickly closing the door behind him. She watched in panic as the Infiltrator's engines started up again. He was really leaving her here. Soon, the starship was nowhere in sight.

The moment Maul dropped her in the middle of Korriban, Kairyn was just… lost. She didn't know where to even start, what direction to walk in, or anything. So, she just picked a direction and started walking. Her eyes scanned the area, searching for anything dangerous that she should avoid. But, visibility wasn't that great. Red dust swirled around in a constant wind, obscuring things that were far away. "It's only for seven days. I can do this." She told herself. But a lot could happen in the space of seven days. Recently, her life had changed forever in just one night. She pushed that thought away and walked onward, looking for… anything.

Logically, she would have to make or find a shelter first or find a source of water. Water would be important these next seven days. Without either, she wouldn't survive. Water first, she thought. But as far as she could see, there was nothing. But the animals that Maul had warned her about had to get water from somewhere. There was no life without it. 'Maybe' she really didn't like this idea 'I have to find one of those creatures and follow it.' Everything Maul had warned her about had the potential to kill her so this would be incredibly dangerous, but it might be even more dangerous not to.

Kairyn kept walking for about an hour, not even sure if the direction she was going in was the same one she started in. As she walked, she picked up the presence of something dark. She had no idea what it could be until she heard it. In the distance, a loud roar echoed off the stone ruins. Kairyn turned the other way, moving away from the sound. She reached out with the force to maybe see what it was. What she found made her heart sink. About a hundred yards away was a single tuk'ata, charging right for her. Could she fight this thing? Kairyn honestly didn't know. She did know, however, that running wouldn't work. It was much faster than she was. It came closer and closer until at the last possible moment, Kairyn jumped over the animal to avoid it. The tuk'ata spun around in its tracks and came at her again, jaws snapping. She evaded the creature several more times, while thinking about what she had versus where she could strike this thing to kill it. Then, she decided to aim for the back of its neck. Remembering what Maul said, though she chose a different method, Kairyn moved to attack.

She held her dagger firmly and leaped on top of the creature. The tuk'ata thrashed wildly, but Kairyn managed to stay on with her heightened balance. In one swift motion, she drove her dagger down into the creature's neck, separating its vertebrae. The animal swayed and then fell onto its side. It took some effort for the girl to get her dagger back; it was wedged tightly.

Kairyn stood back from the creature and looked at it. It was unlike anything she had seen before. The thing was huge! More than five times her size at least. And Kairyn had killed it. It gave her a sense of renewed hope. Just maybe she would survive this.

She had spent the rest of her day looking for water. She always paid attention to her surroundings, so she wouldn't have another encounter like she did with that tuk'ata. But, inevitably, she happened upon another of these beasts, and another. She killed them both in the same way she killed the first. Thankfully for her, she hadn't been found by a pack of them yet. Only single ones. But the second beast did injure her. She had a couple of deep scratches running across her right arm. It certainly hurt but it wouldn't be too much of a problem yet.

Kairyn noticed that all three of the animals had a force signature. It was nothing like what she felt from Maul, but it was still something. She wondered if the terentatek hunted them.

* * *

Darth Maul had finally gotten around to researching exactly who Kairyn was. He was certain that he could easily find it on the holonet. Almost everyone had some kind of trail. But after nearly an hour of searching census records, birth certificates, and other sources of information, he found nothing. Kairyn Alaina Farthou did not exist.

* * *

When the sun started to go down, Kairyn noticed that the temperature was dropping very quickly. She thought it was cool earlier. This was terrible. Once the sun was completely below the horizon, she began to shiver. Again, she recalled what Maul had taught her. He briefly went over raising one's body temperature with the force. She didn't know exactly how though, and even if she did, would it burn up precious energy she couldn't yet replace?

Kairyn spotted a cave not too far off. Perhaps it would make a decent shelter for the night. Kairyn proceeded toward the cave's opening. Once inside, she listened for the presences of other creatures. A few animals like the ones she had faced earlier were in here, but how far back were they? That question was answered as a large Tuk'ata emerged from the shadows with two smaller ones behind it. It looked like a family. Suddenly, the mother lunged at her, nearly taking a bite out of the hybrid. Their screeches echoed off the cave walls like metal scraping against metal. As she dodged another attack, Kairyn noticed a pond of water deeper inside the cave. But she couldn't get to it. Not with these creatures here. The hybrid was forced out of the cave. The Tuk'ata followed her out, still determined to kill her. Kairyn scaled the rock walls, outside the cave. With her agility well honed by Cirque Aethereum, she was able to get away from the deadly animals.

While resting on the ledge of the cliff face, she realized that none of those creatures could get her up here. Though it was cold, she was safe for now. Kairyn settled down onto the rock. The biting cold kept her awake for some time though she eventually fell into a light sleep.

About an hour later, she was awakened by high pitched screeching sounds. Upon opening her eyes, she found several large winged animals circling overhead. When one of them dove for her, she scrambled off of the ledge, and landed on a lower one. In her groggy state, she almost missed the lower ledge. As they kept diving at her, claws outstretched, she realized that this was an incredibly difficult position to defend from. She had hardly any room and these creatures could fly. As one came close to her, she jumped onto its back and held on tight. The creature flew erratically to try to get Kairyn off, but she held fast.

The others started to swoop in close to the hybrid, even though she was on the back of one of them. When one of them came within range, Kairyn quickly drove her dagger into the creature she was riding and then jumped onto the next one, all the while, using the force to determine where she was in relation to them. In a way, this was similar to a routine she once did at the circus. She had to jump from moving platform to moving platform high up above the stage. Though this time, she had no idea where her platforms were going to be. While she was thinking about her next move, she felt sharp teeth puncture the skin around her shoulder. Kairyn howled in pain. The creature, with Kairyn in its jaws, ripped her from the back of the one she was on. Kairyn used her other arm to slash at the creature's face, making it let her go. As she tumbled toward the ground, another shyrack came close enough for her to grab onto. Instead of carefully thinking about each of her moves, she let go. Kairyn trusted in the force and her instincts. She realized that if she thought too much, it would slow her down and get her hurt.

The acrobat systematically killed all but one of the shyracks in this way. The last one, the one she was on the back of, had taken her far from the cliff face. She had nothing to jump onto once she killed this one. Would it eventually land? Would it tire out? She didn't want to find out. The ground was about fifty feet below her. Not too bad, but she could die if she didn't land right. It was solid rock, after all. But the force gave her confidence. She felt like she could actually jump and land unharmed. Kairyn killed the last shyrack and once again, trusted in the force.

She landed on her feet just fine. She wondered how she had been able to do it, but didn't think on it too long. There were so many things about the force that she didn't understand. She just accepted that it had worked.

* * *

Maul had continued to look for any information regarding Kairyn. After still finding nothing, he decided it was time to contact his master. He needed to update him. And perhaps he knew more about this girl. He walked over to his holodeck as he punched in the code to contact him. The zabrak knelt before the communicator, waiting for Sidious to appear.

A hooded figure in zeyd cloth robes appeared on the holoprojector. His face was mostly hidden under a hood. He stayed silent, waiting for his apprentice to state his business.

"My Lord, I have completed my mission." He said as he kept his eyes downcast.

"I sense you have more to tell me than that, my apprentice. You know better than to try my patience." His voice was stern.

Maul was uncertain about what he had to say next. He didn't know if his master was going to condone or condemn his actions. "I have discovered a force sensitive… untouched by the jedi." This piqued Sidious's interest. "She has lost much and harbors a strong hatred inside her." For a long moment, Sidious said nothing. He gave no indication of what he was thinking. Maul began to expect the worst.

Finally, he spoke. "What are your intentions with this girl?" His apprentice knew that there must always only be two. Surely he wasn't defying that ancient rule.

"I have taken her to train as an assassin." He informed Sidious. If he disapproved, he could always kill her and be done with it. He hoped he didn't have to. He knew she could be useful if he was successful in training her. "What are your thoughts on this, master?"

"I think that you have overstepped your bounds." The sith lord stated. What Maul predicted might come true. Though frustrating, it wouldn't make a huge difference. His master's wrath worried him much more. Sidious was the only man in the galaxy Maul ever feared.

Sidious spoke again. "You may have been right in taking her, but you should have contacted me before you decided her fate." The sith fell silent again. He seemed to be thinking of something intensely. "Now tell me, what is her name?"

"Her name is Kairyn." He looked up to his master's face.

The sith master thought on this name. It sounded familiar… very familiar. "Ah yes. Kairyn Alaina Farthou." He stated her full name slowly and smirked slightly under his hood.

He hadn't spoken her full name, yet Sidious knew it. Did he know this girl? He decided not to question his master. "I have placed her on Korriban to see if she is worth training further. She has learned the techniques I have taught her relatively fast for someone her age."

Sidious's smirk widened when he heard from his apprentice that she was learning quickly. Of course she was. "You have found the centerpiece of one of my old projects." He began. "I pulled the names of five particular force sensitive children from the Jedi's holocron about two decades ago. I intended to form a team of sith spies. But of course the Jedi intervened and I abandoned the project, along with the force sensitive children who the Jedi would now never find."

"That might explain why I couldn't find anything on her when I researched her." It was all becoming clearer now.

"Yes. That would be my doing. Her existence is undocumented." Sidious chuckled. "Now why were you researching her? What were you looking for?"

Maul responded honestly. "I suspect that she's not entirely human. The rate she learns new concepts is too impressive to believe her as such. I wanted to know exactly what I am dealing with."

He paused, remembering why he chose this particular girl. "Kairyn is half Arkanian, making her highly intelligent. Her race is known for its ingenuity and… pride." That last part he may have been able to train out of her at a young age, but she wasn't a youngling anymore. "Tell me Maul, are you having trouble training her? Is she constantly questioning you? Resisting you?"

With a hint of annoyance in his voice, he replied, "Always. Nothing can go without a question from her. Is this a trait you want? I have been trying to train it out of her."

Sideous smirked because he knew he was right. Even though he didn't know the girl, her race spoke volumes about her. "No no, her pride wasn't what I wanted. I planned on squashing that as soon as I could. Without pride, the arkanians could be quite impressive. And to find one that was sensitive to the force... But with all of that intelligence, she might be smarter than even you. And it's possible that she already knows it. That could be why she questions you." A dark grin crossed his pale lips as he knew he would not like this. "But you have more experience." He added. "As far as her training goes, you might not be able to rid her of that trait at this point. Arkanians are stubborn. She will likely always trust her own opinions and experiences over yours. That is why I never intended to make her an apprentice. Her race makes her unfit for that purpose." He considered for a moment if it was possible at all to train someone like her past the age of youngling. It would certainly be interesting to see if his apprentice could do it. " But if you want to continue to try to train her, you may. I'd like to see if you can." His smile was a bit unnerving. "If you hope to be successful, you will have to be unconventional. As an arkanian, her loyalty and compliance won't be easily won."

Maul growled. It seemed she was going to be much more trouble than he bargained for. He would definitely need to reflect on his master's words and come up with a strategy. "Yes master."

"Good good. And Maul." He said, pausing to make sure he got his attention. "Good luck." He smirked darkly as if he knew better. His image faded as the communication was ended.

* * *

The next day, Kairyn explored a little more, in search of water. After having lost quite a bit of blood the previous day, she was in great need of it. So far the only source she found was guarded by that family of tuk'ata. She didn't think she could get past them, but it was possible she would have to. For now, she kept searching. Her injuries were starting to really wear on her though. Her arm needed tending to and the shyrack bite had her whole shoulder and her upper arm sore. If she moved the wrong way, intense pain would radiate from that wound. Had the shyrak hit an important nerve? It still bled, even hours after it had happened.

Kairyn also needed to find a food source. There was no plant life around for miles as far as she could tell. 'What are the animals eating besides each other?' She thought. Her initial idea of following one of these creatures seemed more and more appealing. But she feared it would lead her to something like the cave, in which what she needed desperately was inaccessible.

The hybrid wandered for nearly the rest of the day without finding anything. Eventually, she resigned herself to going back to that cave while she still had some strength in her.

First, she scoped out the area, looking for anything she could use to her advantage. She would have loved to find something to use as bait, and then disrupt a rock formation, making it crush the offending creatures. Unfortunately, there was nothing of that nature around. Finally, she decided she just needed to go for it. She was wasting precious energy. If she didn't succeed, she would die. If she didn't do this, she would also likely die.

As she approached, she could hear them growling and hissing. They knew she was here. They could probably smell the blood on her. The amount of it that had seeped into her clothes must be enough to tip off predators to her presence. Even though the creatures sounded their threats, she proceeded into the dark cavern.

Out of the darkness came the largest. Three rows of razor sharp teeth snapped in her face.. As Kairyn evaded the jaws, the other two creatures jumped into action. One of the smaller tuk'ata ran toward her with immense speed. Kairyn ducked just a fraction of a second before the animal collided with the rock wall where she had been. Before she could regain her balance, the third creature had jumped on top of her, pushing her into the stone roughly beneath her. Looking up at it, she saw it rear its head as it went in for a killing blow. The hybrid kicked it hard in the abdomen before it could. She felt the pressure on her release as the tuk'ata reeled backward, away from her.

Before she was back on her feet, the largest one came at her again. The hybrid ducked low and drove her dagger upward into the animal's neck. It released a terrible gurgling screech, spraying warm, thick blood on her face before hitting the ground. 'One down.'

The other two attacked with renewed ferocity. Even though she had killed one, Kairyn was certain that the remaining two would kill her. They were fast and the loss of their mother fueled their rage. The hybrid found it difficult to keep up with them. While avoiding imminent death, Kairyn was having a hard time finding an opening to attack. Both of them seemed so coordinated that they shared the same brain. Could they be communicating to each other? As creatures of the force, she didn't' rule out that possibility.

Suddenly, she found herself on the ground. Both sith hounds raced to hold her there with their clawed feet. She hissed in pain when something sharp was dragged across her right side. She looked down to see five inch claws tearing into her skin. She realized just how hopeless her position was. Anger burned in her chest. She had come this far just to die alone in this cave. All because of that horned psychopath. He ripped her life away from her just so he could throw her into this hell. No…. No, she wouldn't die here. She refused.

Kairyn's anger erupted into a force push, throwing the tuk'ata into the rock behind them. As the creatures were shaking off the shock of such an impact, Kairyn tore open the throat of one of them with her blade. 'Two down.' Things were looking less bleak now.

That was until the remaining tuk'ata wrenched her dagger from her.

The two struggled for some time. Kairyn was getting slower though. Her blood loss was catching up to her, making her head swim. She needed to end this quickly. She sent another force push at the creature. She watched it sail into a stalagmite, crumbling the rock. While it was recovering, Kairyn used the force to levitate the largest rock fragment she could find. As she lifted it into the air, she commanded the force to bring it down with enough speed to break the animal's skull.

Kairyn collapsed. That had taken more energy than she had to give. But with the promise of nearby water, she willed herself to her feet.

* * *

Some time later, Kairyn woke to find that she had passed out by the water pool. Her entire body hurt now. She lifted herself to a sitting position to find that there were streaks of dark red across the ground. She felt dizzy.

After fully waking, she wondered how long she had been out. Glancing around for anything to gauge the time with, she found the bodies of the three tuk'ata. The blood on the ground around them still looked pretty fresh. Maybe only a few hours had passed? At that moment, the hybrid realized how important keeping track of the passing time would be. She needed to meet Maul on the seventh day, and if she missed it, she would die here.

On Korriban, there were so many ways in which she could die. It was staggering to think about. Even things that she hadn't thought about before were dangerous to her now. If in every situation she didn't make the right move, she wouldn't make it. Kairyn wondered how many potential trainees Maul had dropped here that had died.

Kairyn drank more water and then cleaned herself up some. She needed to rest if she was going to attempt to find food next. The tuk'ata claw marks on her right arm from her first encounter had scabbed over now. It wasn't so bad. What was most concerning were the injuries she received today. She allowed herself to sleep a little more to regain her strength.

* * *

 **First and foremost thank you for reading! This chapter was turning out to be really long so I decided to break it up into two parts. Currently, I am about half-way through writing part 2 but it might be a few days before I have the chance to finish it.**

 **Those of you that have given me reviews, thank you! Reviews really are the best. :)**

 **~Loops**


	5. Korriban Part 2

Kairyn was awoken by the feeling of another creature nearby. A single shyrack was smelling her, probably deciding if it could eat her or not. Kairyn jumped to her feet, scaring the animal. It screeched before leaving the cave. The hybrid realized that she would need to build a shelter to keep herself safe from these things. She was lucky it was only a shyrack.

By now, the sun had set and the cave was dark. She couldn't see much at all. And, her stomach hurt with hunger. She hadn't eaten anything since the previous morning he dropped her here. Now that she had a source of water, she could focus on finding food. She hadn't explored any of the cave yet so maybe there was something here. But without being able to see anything, Kairyn would have to resort to her arkanian sight. The hybrid focused on the infrared spectrum and then looked around again. She could see much better now, but whenever she did this, her sense of sight suffered as a whole. Only being half arkanian meant that she didn't have the right biology to support this ability, so she used it sparingly.

Deeper into the cave, she saw lots of faint blobs flying around. She had no idea what it could be. There was also a larger stationary source of heat. There was only one way to find out what any of this was. Kairyn moved deeper into the cavern.

After some time, she came across an expansive chamber with a large lake. Those flying blobs were actually fish! This was a great find. She just needed to catch one and she would be set. This cave turned out to be the perfect hideaway. It had everything she needed except a proper shelter. But that would soon be remedied.

The large heat blob wasn't there anymore, so she didn't think anything of it. though she was suspicious. She'd keep a close eye on that. For now, her next task was catching a fish.

Kairyn spent several minutes poised over the surface of the water, dagger at the ready. Eventually one of the fish swam under her dagger. The moment she had a clear shot, she speared the fish on her blade. Once she had it out of the water, she set to work pulling out some of the bones. Enough to start eating it. Eating raw fish wasn't exactly advisable, but she had no other options at this point, and she was doubtful it would actually hurt her. As gross as it was, she made herself finish it. And soon she started feeling better.

There was a hiss from somewhere in the cave.

Kairyn looked around, having gone back to her normal vision a while ago, and didn't find anything. She reached out with the force and determined that there was some kind of dark energy in the chamber with her. Immediately, she focused in infrared and found a large lizard like creature slowly moving toward her.

Kairyn stayed very still. She didn't know what this or if it wanted to kill her or not. So far, it moved slowly, but as soon as it picked up speed and flashed its teeth, its intentions were very clear.

Kairyn flipped out of the way and faced the creature again. She kept dodging its attacks as she worked out how to kill it. The cave was filled with sounds of hissing and thrashing about.

As she fought the thing, its tail whipped around and grazed her, adding to the myriad of gashes across her skin. Finally, she mounted the creature. It thrashed around wildly, trying to unseat her, but she held on to the ridge on its head. The barbs along its hide dug into her legs though. As it shook her around, she tried to find her balance enough to let go with one arm. Every time the dark side dragon flailed, more of its thorns dug into her. As soon as she could, she plunged her blade toward the lizard's neck. She might as well have been trying to strike a rock.

The hssiss's skin deflected her blade. It's thorny hide couldn't be pierced with metal. She needed another plan. Where was this creature vulnerable? She leaped off of the lizard and threw her dagger right into the animal's eye. The cave's walls echoed with an agonizing roar. Kairyn used the force to pull the dagger from the animal's skull and back to her hand. She threw it again.

Now that the lizard was blind, it had to rely on its sense of hearing to find her. The lizard slowed down so it could hear. Kairyn moved away from it, but made sound as she did so. The hssiss immediately pinpointed her and leaped in that direction with its jaw wide open.

At the last moment, Kairyn was able to get away. She very carefully moved around the cave silently. When she came upon a loose rock, she picked it up and tossed it away from her. The lizard viciously attacked where the rock landed, bashing its nose into the stone floor.

Kairyn took this opportunity to slash the lizard's throat. The lizard bled out quickly.

Kairyn wondered if that was going to be the last of what she had to face before this cave was hers. The hssiss was definitely more than she bargained for.

Now that she wasn't in danger anymore, the hybrid thought it best to try to clean her wounds as best as she could. She carefully removed her clothing and stepped into the underground lake. The cool water felt great on her irritated skin. Gently, she worked on getting as much dirt out of her gashes and scrapes as possible. When she was finished, she even rinsed out her hair and clothing. The later had so much blood that it was sticky in places.

While she was in the water, she heard growls coming from the cave opening. She was a distance away, so if this creature stayed out there, she'd be fine. It worried her though. Kairyn didn't think she could take another beating from some monstrous animal. She focused on the creature to try to discern what it was. Through the rock it was impossible to see a clear outline. But, she watched as the blob elongated vertically. This could mean that it had bipedal capabilities. That didn't bode well. Kairyn decided to stay near the lake, in silence, until well after it was gone.

* * *

Later on, Kairyn ventured to the cave entrance again. What she found there astounded her. The gleaming white bones of three tuk'ata. There was hardly anything left behind. Whatever that thing was, it must have been huge! 'I really need to figure out shelter.' She thought. Clearly this cave wasn't as safe as she thought.

Eyeing the bones, she had an idea. She could feel the force presence of the dead tuk'ata. That must have been what brought the terentatek here. If she made her shelter from the bones, would a force sensitive animal pass over her, thinking her signature was the deceased tuk'ata? It was worth a shot.

The hybrid used her dagger to help her free the bones from the spine. Once she freed one, she tried to lift it, but found that it was too heavy for her to move effectively. Then, she willed the force to move the bone as she also physically pushed. She wasn't strong enough to move it with the force alone, but she was when she used her physical strength as well.

After a couple of hours, she had most of the bones in place against the wall of the cave, forming an odd sort of structure. At the top, the ribs didn't all reach the wall of stone. She left it that way so she could easily get in and out while keeping everything else out. The thicker part of the ribs were buried into the ground to secure them. The hybrid climbed into her makeshift shelter and slept.

The next couple of days were spent largely in her little bone house. She left to eat and drink but felt a lot safer within the walls of bone.

One time a tuk'ata wandered into the cave to drink some water. It strolled toward Kairyn's shelter to investigate. Suddenly something made the animal leave. 'Maybe it doesn't want to stick around where others of its kind were killed.' She thought.

A few minutes later, a much larger animal entered the cave. Kairyn focused in infrared so she could get a better idea of what it was. What she saw terrified her.

'Terentatek...'

The massive creature sniffed at the strange arrangement of large rib bones. Its tusks scraped against them as it got closer. She understood now what spooked the tuk'ata.

It was looking for her force signature… But maybe, just maybe her plan would work. Kairyn laid low, not making any sound. She hardly breathed in fear that she would alert this creature to her presence. If it knew she was here, it was game over.

She heard the animal grumble as it decided that the force signature it picked up was just a dead tuk'ata and nothing it could eat. Slowly, the terentatek moved away, further into the cave. Kairyn still didn't move. She knew that the terentatek even thought there might be something alive over here, she'd be dead. 'Your only chance is to not be noticed by one.' She remembered...

A while later, the beast emerged from the bowels of the cave. As she saw the thing wandered off, a smile crept over her lips in triumph. She had outsmarted the creature and was alive because of it.

On her later ventures into the cave, back to the underground lake, she noticed that the hssiss corpse had been devoured. Only bones remained. That sight sent a chill down her spine. Kairyn could vividly imagine what it would have done to her had it not been fooled.

* * *

Finally, the seventh morning came. Kairyn left her shelter for the last time and ventured into the desert. After a week of this hell, Kairyn found it difficult to remember the way back. She had changed direction so many times that first day. Eventually, she found a landmark she knew was close to the drop off point. It was one of the many tombs that dotted the landscape. This one had a particularly dark presence emanating from it. Once she walked past the tomb, it wouldn't be too far.

It was the seventh day, the day Maul would find out if his apprentice had survived or not. The zabrak piloted the Infiltrator down to Korriban once more. He waited from the cockpit, watching the barren landscape from the comfort of his ship. He sensed that she was alive. But he also sensed that she wasn't out of the woods yet…

But before she could get there, a pack of tuk'ata picked up on her force signature. The creatures found her without too much trouble. In a few moments, the young hybrid was surrounded by them. She didn't know if she could make it out of this. Kairyn held onto her dagger tightly and faced the group, trying to keep as many of them in sight as she could. There were at least seven of them.

Kairyn jumped onto the back of one but another immediately surged forward and knocked her hybrid leaped out of the way, but another one was already on her, pinning her to the ground. There was no way she was going to survive this. Kairyn drove her dagger into the clawed leg that held her on her back. The creature howled in pain and let her go. Kairyn backed away and remembered the last technique Maul had taught her before leaving her out here. Kairyn gathered her anger and let it out in a roar enhanced by the force. The startled tuk'ata turned tail, but to Kairyn's horror, she heard another roar off in the distance, as if it was answering her.

The zabrak had heard it too. It was unmistakably a terentatek. He looked away from the sandy planet and to his control console. It was over for her. She had come close, but that didn't mean anything now. He set his course for Mustafar.

Not long after, she could see it. A large creature with tusks, armor like skin, terrible claws, and an intent to kill her. Kairyn searched for a place she could take shelter from this creature, but she was in the middle of a desert. There was nothing here except her and the terentatek. Kairyn took her dagger from her belt and readied herself. Though her chances of survival had just plummeted to almost zero, she would fight anyway.

The creature swiped its giant arm toward her, trying to knock her to the ground. Kairyn flipped over its arm and landed upright. The terentatek again tried to knock her over but she got away. Kairyn was beginning to think that she could tire it out. That thought was quickly extinguished with another swipe of the beast's clawed hand. She was knocked backward and was suddenly aware of a searing pain in her abdomen. She looked down and saw that she had a deep gash across her stomach.

The terentatek picked her up, wrapping its fingers around her midsection. She growled in pain as its hard skin came into contact with the wound in her stomach. Kairyn drove the dagger into it's hand, but it's armor like hide wouldn't give. It deflected the metal as if the creature was made of stone. Kairyn tried again and received the same result. So this was why Maul didn't expect her to survive a terentatek. She had no way of defending herself against one. Her weapon was far from adequate and once it spotted her, there was no getting away.

The beast brought her closer to its rows of sharp teeth. Its emotionless black eyes stared at her menacingly. The hybrid thought for sure that this was it. She was going to die. At the last moment, Kairyn came up with a daring idea. When the creature opened it's mouth to consume her, she thrust her dagger up into the upper palate of its jaw. Here, there was no armor. The flesh was soft. The silver of her dagger disappeared into the creature's flesh. All movement stopped in the terentatek. It's muscles gave out and it crumpled heavily to the ground.

Kairyn retrieved her dagger. She had successfully drove it into the beast's brain, killing it instantly. She held pride in what she had done. The sith didn't think she would live, but she had proved him otherwise.

As she continued her way toward the rendezvous point, she realized that the terentatek might kill her yet. That claw that cut across her stomach was poisoned… First, her stomach started cramping painfully. This by itself almost made her double over. Kairyn kept moving though. She wasn't about to die out here. Not after having come so close to making it. But as she went, other troublesome symptoms arose. Her temperature was dangerously high, there were dark spots in her vision, her balance was off, and she was even starting to have a hard time breathing. Her heart fluttered in her chest as she fought to keep moving. Every now and then, darkness would pull hard at her consciousness. She wouldn't let it though. If she gave in to sleep, she would certainly die.

* * *

A gloved hand hovered over the controls, ready to take off. But before he would, he felt with the force one last time. What he found astounded him. Her life force was severely weakened but she trudged on. Maul wondered how she could have survived. His mind raced, trying to fathom a possible answer, but he couldn't think of anything. The only way he was going to find out was…

The sith lord got to his feet and left the Infiltrator.

When he reached her, he took hold of her, lifting her into his arms. He could feel that she was much warmer than what was probably safe for her species and her heart was beating too fast. As he carried her back to the ship, she said weakly, "I- I think… it poisoned me."

'Of course it did.' Maul thought. He was sure that terentatek venom was what was killing her.

He placed her in her room and fetched the medpac. He pulled out the bacta-shot and quickly injected it into her arm. He didn't know if it was going to act fast enough to save her though. She might be past that point. As he watched her, he noticed that her breaths came longer and longer apart until they didn't come at all.

He immediately started administering CPR. After the conversation he had with his master, he really did want her to survive. He wanted to be able to present Lord Sidious with the perfect assassin, proving that he was capable. He wasn't going to let her die willingly.

He pinched her nose and placed his mouth to hers, breathing for her.

* * *

Kairyn was a million miles away. She felt weightless - as though she were simply drifting through the air. She didn't hurt, she wasn't imprisoned, she was free.

A kind voice beckoned to her from somewhere unknown. She looked around the expanse of white surrounding her. "Who's there?" She curiously asked. "Where am I?" She hadn't the slightest idea. Her mind was fuzzy. She couldn't remember what she was doing or why she was here.

An older man in traditional earth colored robes revealed himself. He had her mother's white hair and pupiless white eyes. "I am your grandfather." He announced, taking her hand. "And you are at a crossroads, my dear." She didn't understand. None of this made sense. The look of puzzlement on her face urged her grandfather to explain more.

"You are dying. A terentatek poisoned you and now you have stopped breathing. Soon, your heart will stop as well." He said solemnly. "But the zabrak you are with is trying to bring you back. You can go with him and return to your suffering, or you can stay here and know peace."

Peace sounded like a great option right now. Her memories slowly trickled back to her. She was in immense pain before. She had many wounds and venom in her veins. She was also still with the zabrak. The one that had put her through all of this in the first place. But was she ready to die? She was only twenty. And what would she be dying for? What had she done with her life? She had so much more of it to live.

"You have been placed on a very dark path. One filled with hatred and pain." He frowned. "If you decide to go back, you must get away from this sith and find the jedi. A jedi is who you are meant to be." He wondered if they would take her though. She was older and had been exposed to and influenced by the dark side. Even if they didn't, he knew they would offer her protection. "You might have noticed by now, but that crystal you wear is no ordinary crystal." He indicated the pendant around her neck. "It is an Ilum crystal. The very one that I used in my lightsaber. You might have felt that it has a small force presence of its own."

She had no idea what the crystal actually was until Maul had looked at it. She didn't know that it had been used in a lightsaber. "That means you were a…"

"A jedi." He confirmed.

The two talked for a couple of minutes about the light side and what it meant to be a jedi. He wanted the same for Kairyn desperately, but her fate was uncertain. She could go either way as it was right now. But if she was going to go dark, he would rather take her here with him in death than allow her to become something terrible. "If you don't think you can leave your current path, it would be best to take you with me now."

Kairyn was surprised. He would rather see her die now than to let her continue the way she was going. But she had decided already. She wanted to live.

"I see." He was uncertain that the decision she made was the right one. "Then our time together is nearing an end, I'm afraid." He smiled kindly at her.

"Remember these words, my granddaughter. Peace, knowledge, serenity, and harmony will guide you to the light. Anger, hatred, ignorance, and passion will lead you astray." He stroked her cheek lovingly. "Don't let him fill your heart with darkness."

He let go of her hand and the white faded into black.


	6. At War Within

Her lungs screamed for oxygen. Immense pain filled her senses as she took several deep gulps of air. She ached in every muscle, every bone…

The first thing she saw was his piercing golden eyes staring down at her. He was kneeling on the cot, holding himself up with a hand placed next to her shoulder. 'Why is he leaning over me like that?' She groggily wondered.

Maul sat up now that she had started breathing on her own again. He was relieved that she had survived. He would still have his chance to prove himself and please his master.

Maul left her side to pilot the Infiltrator off of Korriban. Once he had the autopilot on, he returned to her. She was unconscious again, but she was breathing normally. As he watched her, he noticed that her force signature had changed slightly. When he first found her, it was neutral. After teaching her a little of how to use it, she leaned toward the dark side. Now there was… light. Both sides of the force clashed within her. How could she have been tainted by the light on Korriban of all places? This female was perplexing.

As he dressed her numerous wounds, he found himself hoping that none of them would scar. Her beauty was an asset that she could employ to meet their goals. It was unlikely that the older lacerations would heal perfectly, but the more recent ones would stand a chance once he got her to Mustafar. The gash across her midsection looked especially wicked. Judging from the size and how recent it was, he placed it as terentatek. He looked over the other wounds across her skin. Her shoulder looked like it had been bitten. Shyrak he guessed. She had other gashes but he couldn't place those. A number of creatures on Korriban could be to blame.

Once he finished, the sith removed his black robe and draped it over the hybrid. He knew that she was often cold while in the ship and he wasn't sure how the cold might affect her body's ability to fight off the venom.

While she slept, he absently stroked her hair, letting the silken strands fall between his fingers. The more he looked at her, the more exquisite she became. He would teach her to use her beauty as a weapon. She could use it to get into places he would have difficulty getting into. Old politicians loved beautiful women. As long as her targets were male and humanoid, he knew she'd be deadly.

Now that she had survived, he needed to think on her training. What should the sith cover next? There was also the issue of the light side. He needed to expunge that from her as soon as possible. Allowing his apprentice to harbor such weakness would only dilute her future usefulness.

Over the next few days, the girl spent much more time asleep than she did awake. That was good. Her body was trying to repair itself with the help of the bacta he had given her. He administered more doses of the healing agent periodically. On more than one occasion, he had to unravel one of her arms from the robe so he could. She clutched it tightly as she slept.

* * *

Thick lashes parted to take in her new surroundings. The last thing she remembered was talking with her grandfather. She still hurt just about everywhere though she was feeling a little bit better. She shifted, causing her blanket to slide down, exposing her skin to the cool air of the Infiltrator. Subconsciously, she tugged on the blanket, eager to return to its heat. She rolled on her side, not ready to get up at all.

It was a few minutes later that she realized there was something odd about the blanket she had been using. She didn't remember ever having a blanket on this ship. It seemed that Maul had no need for such items as he didn't even use one himself. The cloth was black and a little coarse. Upon further inspection, she discovered it had a hood and sleeves... It was his.

As it hit her, the sith entered the room. She didn't know whether she wanted to discard the garment or hold on to it for now. If it was anyone's but his, she would be fine with it.

"You seemed perfectly content with it yesterday." There was a tone of amusement in his voice.

Kairyn watched him with disdain. "How long has it been?"

"A few days." He answered simply, as always.

"And where are we going?" She actually didn't care much as long as it wasn't Korriban.

"Mustafar. We will arrive in two standard days."

'Mustafar...' She had never heard of it. Then again, there were a lot of planets she had never heard of.

'Now that she is feeling well enough to resume her incessant talking...' Maul had a burning question he had been needing an answer to. "You should have died facing that terentatek. How did you manage to kill it?" It's hide is nearly impervious. There was no way she would have been able to pierce its skin with her dagger.

Kairyn's memories were a little jumbled but this she did remember. Pridefully, she answered. "Right before it was going to eat me, I drove my dagger into its brain from the roof of its mouth." She almost added a retort about his underestimation of her.

Maul sat back in surprise. His apprentice was living up to the description of her species. He wasn't sure he would have thought to do the same. "I see." He replied. He wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of telling her that she impressed him. She still had a long way to go though she had potential and displayed great ingenuity.

He noticed that she tried to sit up with difficulty. The expression she wore spoke of pain. "Relax for now apprentice." He cautioned with a strong hand holding her shoulder against the mattress. "The venom is still in your system. The bacta I've been giving you has only kept it at bay." Without a medical droid on board, there was only so much he could do. "Try to sleep more." The sith left to check on things in the cockpit.

* * *

The Infiltrator descended over a sprawling landscape of volatile volcanoes and vast rivers of molten rock. Once the starfighter landed on the planet, the Sith Lord lowered the landing ramp. Immediately, the planet's stifling hot atmosphere permeated the vessel.

Kairyn was woken by a warm hand on her arm. "Put your arms around my neck." He said softly. She hesitated, confused at first, but did as instructed. He slid his powerful arms underneath her and lifted. As he carried her, she noticed the air around her became progressively warmer until it was uncomfortable. Then she saw the planet for the first time.

Her eyes widened. Torrents of lava flowed all around them. It splashed upward on occasion, worrying the arkanian hybrid. A violent plume sputtered toward the walkway. Reflexively, Kairyn turned her face inward, toward his chest.

He felt her whole body tense in his arms. He found it amusing how she thought that there would be a structure here without a shield and even more amusing that she had looked to him for safety. He carried her into the building where the air was quite a bit cooler.

The stark difference in temperature made her shiver. The building was large, like it was once used for something grand. But now, there was no one here. As the two traveled through the old accounting facility, she only ever saw the occasional droid.

Maul opened the glass doors to a medcenter. Inside, a medical droid directed its attention to the hybrid. Before the sith even set her down, the droid was scanning her for her injuries and any other ailments. After assessing her physical state, it determined that she would need to be placed in a bacta tank to heal completely. "Master Maul, if you would place her over there…" The droid indicated the base of one of the tanks.

When Maul picked her up once again and set her where the droid had asked, she became nervous. The hybrid had never been to a medcenter before and found it unnerving. Though the glass wasn't in place yet, she felt claustrophobic. And once the glass was there, the chamber would be filled with liquid… She knew she would be able to breathe, but it would be all around her… She wouldn't be able to get out.

"Afraid of hospitals?" He raised a brow at her, observing her unease.

"Just get this over with." She spat out, suppressing her anxiety.

With the droid's instruction, Maul found the breathing mask and lowered it to her level and turned on the blend of mostly oxygen. Gently, he smoothed her hair out of her face. With a hand cradling the back of her head, he placed the mask against her nose and mouth.

The gas knocked her out in seconds.

* * *

This time when she woke up, she was in an actual bed. She couldn't remember a bed ever being this comfortable. She sank deeper into her pillow and cocooned herself in the large blanket she was under. Slowly, she remembered that she had been in a medcenter. The hybrid opened her eyes and examined her surroundings. The soft glow of the lava outside her window allowed her to see in the dark room. No one else was in the room to her relief.

Kairyn sat up in the bed, testing her injuries. It seemed that everything had been healed. There wasn't any pain in sitting up, but she felt dizzy. She stood and the dizziness really hit her. The whole room swayed. She abruptly sat back down and waited for the ground to stop moving before she attempted again to stand.

When she felt somewhat steady, she paced over to the door. After Korriban Maul had left her door wide open, but would he really leave it unlocked now that she had her mobility back? Expecting to be trapped in the room, she pressed the open button.

The door opened to reveal a rather luxurious living area lit dimly by the lava's glow. It reminded Kairyn of an upscale hotel suite. The room was well furnished with comfortable looking furniture and beautiful wall hangings. Beyond a large glass pane was a magnificent view of the lava planet. Next to the window was a door that led out to a balcony. She opened the door and stepped outside. It felt nice compared to the cool temperature of the room. 'Does he keep everything cold to spite me?' She wondered, looking out at the volatile planet.

When she came back inside, she almost didn't notice his golden eyes silently watching her from the armchair. His presence startled her. The sith stood and approached the hybrid. "Feeling better I see." He handed her a book. "Since the droid insisted on having you rest a couple more days, you will be reading." Kairyn looked at the ancient book.

"When you are finished with that, I will show you the library." He left the room and locked the main door behind him.

The arkanian hybrid curled up on the couch and turned the lamp on. She flipped through the pages, wondering what the subject matter was. There was no title or summary or anything. The pages looked like they had been taken from other books. None of the sections matched. It was definitely a peculiar text. She started at the beginning, reading about an old rogue jedi named Sorzus Syn and the rise of the sith empire. Kairyn quickly became engrossed in the old writings.

A couple of hours later, Maul returned with food for the both of them. He set a plate full of fruits, cured meats, and cheeses. Her eyes lit up the moment she saw it. Real food. She was growing so tired of the bland rations that seemed to be all the sith ever consumed. And the ration kits were tailored to his species, not Kairyn's. Aparently zabraks were carnivores.

When she finished the book, as promised, Maul led her to the library Sidious kept in the facility. There were few books but shelves of datapads. Maul went down one of the aisles and pulled one of the datapads from the shelf. He handed this to Kairyn. "This one goes over lightsaber combat. I suggest you study it."

Kairyn accepted the offered datapad, unsure of where to start otherwise.

She scanned over each one and found that Jar'Kai was probably going to be the best fit for her. She was accustomed to using two blades when fighting common street thugs back on Nar Shaddaa.

When she was done with that datapad, she moved on through the library, plucking datapads from the shelves and glancing them over. They all seemed at least mildly interesting.

Then, she found a text she would never expect to find in a sith's library. She picked it up from the shelf and looked it over. At the very beginning was a code that held a striking resemblance to the sith mantra she had read earlier. 'There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no passion, there is serenity. There is no chaos, there is harmony. There is no death, there is the Force.'

She took this datapad to one of the chairs in the library and read.

Hours later, Maul came to retrieve her. Kairyn immediately shut off the datapad, not wanting him to see what she was reading. She also grabbed the saber combat datapad and took the two of them back to the room with her.

* * *

The next day went about the same. She was in the library for most of the day reading on various subjects. Mostly history. She now knew more of what an apprenticeship meant and what the sith's purpose was. Before, she had no idea what any of this was for. But since she had read that jedi text, she knew that what the sith wanted wasn't entirely right. The way it had been written made it make sense but with another perspective, she saw how wrong it could be. Kairyn kept her grandfather's words in mind.

* * *

Two days had passed since she had woken from her induced sleep. She was feeling much stronger now and Maul deemed her ready to continue regular training. The sith brought her to a large and mostly bare room. The walls had various weapons mounted in rows to chose from. Maul located a training saber and tossed it to the hybrid. He picked up another for himself. "Did you decide on a form you wanted to learn, apprentice?"

"I did." She replied. "I want to learn about Jar'Kai." She felt unbalanced holding only one weapon. Two was more efficient in her opinion.

"Jar'Kai is one of the more difficult forms." He warned. She could always go back to a single blade form later, but again she could start with a simpler one and work up to Jar'Kai. "You read about the other forms as well?"

"I used to use twin daggers before you destroyed one of them." Her tone was a little icy.

He had to think for a moment but yes, he did remember. The night he found her, she attacked him, and with his saberstaff he destroyed one of the blades she threw at him. "Very well." He tossed her another training saber which she caught with the same dexterity as the first. Maybe this was right for her. "You can't compare a lightsaber to a dagger. They are completely different weapons."

She didn't say anything. She just tested out the weight of the training sabers.

Maul taught her the basic stances, strikes, and defenses of Jar'Kai. She was picking up on it quickly as he now expected. She mimicked his movements almost perfectly.

Kairyn thought of this training as a new set for a new show back in Cirque Aethereum. She followed his movements as if she were following the moves of her old instructor teaching her new choreography. She practiced the movements again and again under Maul's watch. Every now and then, he would reposition her if she got sloppy.

With one particular strike, she never held the saber at the right height. Instead of being gentle, he activated his training saber and struck her on the arm to get her to hold it correctly. Since it was only a training saber, it would only leave minor burns and welts. Since he started doing that, she perfected the movements much faster.

Though he pushed her harder and harder over the next few days, he couldn't bring out the intensity of anger he knew she had in her. Maul studied her closely. The light side was becoming too strong in her.

Darth Maul meditated on the floor near the balcony window. His apprentice quietly read one of her datapads on the couch. The sith concentrated on the girl and how she had turned toward the light side. Instead of finding the solution he was looking for, he found part of the problem.

Suddenly, the datapad she was reading was ripped from her hands. Alarmed, she locked her gaze with Maul's, unwilling to turn away from the threat his aggressive posture carried. He stalked toward her, fury setting his eyes on fire.

"So this is what you would rather learn?" He seethed. "You would rather become a spineless jedi than accept the path to power I have placed before you?" The zabrak snarled. She opened her mouth to defend herself, but Maul had used the force to constrict her throat. He lifted her off her feet and and held her for a moment, glaring into her eyes. Then, he tossed her to the side. "You disgust me."

Between coughing fits, she tried to explain what she had found. Maul snapped. "You think the jedi know better? Fine!" He grabbed her by the arm, pulling her to her feet. He pushed her out of the suite and forcefully led her back to the training room.

He gave her the two training sabers she had been using earlier that day. "Go ahead." He seethed. "Use your light side knowledge to defeat me." He ignited both ends of his saberstaff, twirling the blood red blades dangerously. She hesitated.

"What's the matter? Afraid to show me the power of the light side?" His voice echoed off the room's walls. "You're weak." The sith surged forward and began a barrage of attacks that Kairyn was barely able to defend herself against. He wasn't using a training saber. His was very much real. She might die tonight.

Intense anger rose up in Kairyn though she wanted to stifle it. The dark side beckoned to her. It promised an easier way. It promised to cause her enemies agony. The hybrid mentally turned away from these black whispers. She wanted to uphold the ways of her grandfather but it was difficult.

Kairyn used her acrobatics to narrowly evade his attack. She struck back a few times but she was quickly overwhelmed by his Juyo. She fell on her back.

Before she could get up, the sith pressed her down - his boot on her chest. His lightsaber burned against her neck. "If you continue to believe in these delusions of the Jedi, you will never be of use to me."

Kairyn hissed as the energy sword touched her skin. Though she realized he had adjusted his blade's intensity much lower than normal, the burn she received was still painful.

"Let me make this clear." He warned, crushing her into the floor harder. "I will kill you before letting you become an advocate of light. The light side is nothing but weakness."

Under his heavy foot, she felt powerless and incredibly frustrated. His weight bore down on her, making it hard to breathe. Anger rose in her like a wildfire. She needed to hurt him. Needed to make him bleed. Kairyn thought quickly and dropped the training sabers. The hybrid strained to pull the dagger from her boot and drove it into his ankle, going through the leather. Blood ran down the handle of the blade, dripping on her.

The sith warrior showed no sign of pain. His eyes narrowed as he looked down to her. He lifted his injured foot from her pulled the dagger out. It noisily clattered to the ground. It was good that her anger had surfaced but it wasn't enough. Even though she had damaged the tendons in his ankle, he placed his weight on it. He embraced the pain.

Maul kicked her away with his other foot and resumed his offensive stance. "Get up!" He commanded. He paced back and forth like a jungle cat stalking its prey.

Kairyn was amazed that the injury she inflicted on him didn't seem to bother him in the slightest. She scrambled to her feet and took up the training sabers again. He attacked before she was ready.

The hybrid struggled to keep up with his onslaught. He again was easily able to overcome the hybrid. He began toying with her, striking her just to demonstrate how incompetent her skills were next to his.

The zabrak kept taunting the hybrid. She hadn't been able to get in a single hit since she got him with her dagger. She twirled around and met his saber with both of hers. She used the two weapons to strike again and again but still she wasn't making any progress.

Maul continued to fend her off. She was getting better though. Maybe this is how he should have trained her to begin with. When she became frustrated with her skill level, her anger came forth, accelerating her development. He would pin her every now and then to rile her up more.

Pretty soon, she was just using the dark side, using her anger as a weapon. But he couldn't seem to remove enough of the light from her. She held onto it still for reasons unknown. He decided to focus on another aspect of the dark side.

Suddenly, she found herself pinned to a wall again, his saber at her throat. Instead of hurting her again, he deactivated the weapon. She stared at him in confusion. The zabrak came closer until his body was pressed firmly against hers, effectively holding her immobile. "You still hold onto the light side… Why?" He said in a low, throaty tone. She could feel the hard ridges of his muscled form against her. What was he doing? She wanted to back away rather than face the complex emotions afflicting her.

When Kairyn wriggled free of his grasp, the sith resumed his vicious dance. The two darted around the room, crashing their blades together in a whirlwind of red.

The sith took her by the arm and spun her into him. Holding her from behind, he breathed against her ear, "You are familiar with the sith code?"

In vain she tried to shove him away. As she struggled, she answered, "I read about it, yes."

He smirked against her hair. "Tell me Kairyn. If peace is a lie, what is there?" His voice held an eerie sense of calm.

She timidly whispered. "Passion..."

The zabrak nipped sharply at her ear eliciting a surprised gasp from the raven haired female. As his grip loosened, she whipped around and snarled.

Kairyn picked up her training sabers and faced him. The zabrak had a devious grin painted on his tattooed face. He reactivated his blades.

Sabers crashed into each other again and again. The more he irritated her, the more wild she became. Kairyn met his blows now with pure aggression. In this moment, Maul saw in her the beginnings of a great assassin.

His demonstration of just one of the many forms of passion seemed to really piss her off. And that meant she was affected by it. This knowledge sparked ideas. His master told him that he had to be unconventional with her and this might just be the angle he needed, but it was one that could backfire. But he needed to pull her from the light and bring her under his control.

Kairyn recognized that he was going to try to pin her again. The hybrid fought it to the best of her ability, but the zabrak was too damn strong. He grabbed each of her hands. She futilely tried to push back, but he cemented her down with laughable ease.

She struggled under his grip. To hold her still, Maul covered her with his muscled weight. His solid chest flush against hers. With all of her strength, Kairyn thrashed against him in hopes of making him let go though his unyielding form confined her nonetheless. She stubbornly continued to fight. Until he penetrated her mind...

Burning arousal inexplicably filled her senses. Kairyn was suddenly hyper aware of their proximity and what he insinuated by it. Until today, she hadn't thought of him like this, but now that she had...

Her azure eyes dilated. Maul smirked, his gaze searing into her. Her heartbeat accelerated.

He let go of one of her arms. She didn't move. He placed his free hand on her hip. It was almost imperceptible, but her hips rose slightly to meet him. His lower half rolled into her deliciously forcing a whimper from her lips. His breath warmed her neck. Reflexively, her head tilted to the side, giving him better access. No sooner she felt a pair of scorching lips and sharp teeth at her neck.

He readjusted his other hand, continuing his enticing advances. Through the haze of intense lust she had a moment of clarity. What was she doing? No... She couldn't let this happen. She looked into his predatory gaze. But part of her really wanted this... No!

A growl started low in her throat and erupted when she twisted herself from his grasp. No way she was going to let him continue. She had enough. Kairyn used the force to angrily open the doors of the training chamber, granting her passage as she furiously stalked out.

The sith watched her leave, a sly grin over his lips.

* * *

 **Hey guys! I realized that the way I spaced my paragraphs in my document wasn't translating to the site at all. :( So, I went back and fixed all of it. There are now proper page breaks where needed instead of awkward no spaces at all. lol Oops. I'm still getting the hang of this thing. Bear with me!**

 **Also, this is where the story starts really deviating from what happened in that roleplay I did. So if there's anything you want to see in the story, feel free to tell me about it. :) I'll see what I can do.**

 **And thank you so much for reading and reviewing! You guys are wonderful. 3**


	7. A Second Chance

Kairyn stormed into the room. Her emotions swirled out of control. Disdain, indignation, desire, self-disgust, frustration... It all made her feel as if she would explode.

She paced, stopped, started pacing again... The hybrid was trying to come to terms with what had just happened. He made her want him. But she didn't really want him. ' _Do I...? No!'_ She berated herself for even thinking like that. Kairyn walked up and down the length of the room over and over. ' _He's a monster. He took me, threatened me, almost got me killed...'_ She hated him. She hated him like she hated no other creature. It burned in her. But this confliction… It was threatening to disrupt her sanity. With a growl, she spun toward her room.

She flipped the valve on her shower, letting the cold water run down her naked skin. "What the hell is wrong with me?" She roared, hitting the wall. Why, even now that his influence was gone, did she want what had happened? The more she thought about it the more flustered she became. The icy water wasn't enough to cool her temper. She worked conditioner through her hair accidentally yanking the tangled strands.

A knock at her door followed by husky laughter interrupted her. "Cold shower?"

"Haven't you done enough to piss me off today!?" She snapped. To her horror, she watched the latch on it unlock seemingly by itself. When he entered, the hybrid faced away from him. "What the hell Maul!?" She roared, seething at the zabrak.

He looked her up and down through the glass. Though he was pleased by her appearance, she continued to demonstrate insolence which he couldn't ignore. "Have you forgotten your place, apprentice? Address me only... as master." His piercing eyes grazed over her bare back. It was brave of her to turn it on him.

Now that he thought about it, he had never once heard her call him 'master'... "Shall I strike you with lightning every time you call me otherwise?" A small electrical charge danced on his fingertips. He wondered how it would affect her in the water. He was considering finding out but he guessed that she had been through enough today. "Maybe you wouldn't have such a difficult time if you behaved yourself, Kairyn." He snorted condescendingly. "Or are you incapable?" He left the bathroom without another word.

Kairyn was incapable. She had a fire in her that demanded dignity and individuality. The arkanian always thought for herself. She trusted no one. It's what had gotten her as far as she had before Maul came crashing into her life.

When she was finished, she went to her bedroom. She sensed that Maul was in the one opposite hers. Sometimes he was there, sometimes he wasn't. ' _Wait. Why do I even care?'_ The hybrid couldn't sleep for a long while and when she did, she kept waking up. Eventually, she gave up on sleeping. To hopefully ease her mind some, Kairyn read from a datapad in the living room. ' _Something boring should do it.'_ She idly flipped through the pages and began reading about another form of saber combat. But before long, she found herself reading the same line over and over again. Her mind had wandered far from saber combat…

* * *

The following morning Maul found her asleep on the couch with a datapad on the floor in front of her. 'Must have fallen from her grasp.' He noted. He picked it up and placed it on the table next to her.

Maul nudged her awake. She sleepily acclimated to her strange surroundings. She had never fallen asleep out here before. Instead of saying her curiosity of the day's plans, she just glared into the floor. She didn't want to talk to him after yesterday.

"You're going to make your lightsaber crystals." Maul said, knowing she wanted to know. He studied her state of mind with interest.

"Make?" She responded. Kairyn thought that lightsaber crystals were found. Not made.

"Sith crystals are usually synthetic, though there are exceptions. Yours however, will be synthetic for now." He had forgotten just how little she knew about these things.

"Alright." She said, sitting up.

Later on, once she had eaten and gotten ready for the day, Maul led her out of the room.

The two entered a chamber housing a geological compressor. Inside were already the materials needed to generate two crystals. "This process will take one to four days and you will be meditating throughout." He announced.

That seemed like an awfully long time to Kairyn. And she had to meditate the whole time? Unlikely.

"I will come by with food and water periodically." He set the controls on the compressor. The sith motioned for her to follow him. She guided her to a mat near the compressor. "Focus on the force and the crystals." He indicated where the raw materials were heating up. "Guide its formation with your anger." He took her hands and placed them on top of the glass dome. "Remember the frustration I made you feel last night. Hold on to that rage… let it burn inside you…" He stepped back. "Use it to fuel the crystals' potency."

Bringing up last night didn't sit well with her. Everything about it was wrong. But was holding on to anger really in her best interests? Maybe... She knew her grandfather probably knew better than this man, but she had witnessed first hand how much stronger the dark side had been for her…

Kairyn turned her focus inward. She focused on the crystals through the force. She let her raw frustration and anger flow into the young crystals. She had so much of it from yesterday…

Inside the compressor, she felt the atoms and molecules rearranging themselves, forming into something that was completely different than what had gone into the machinery.

* * *

It took her three days to make her saber crystals. And even then, only one of them was successful. The other one dissolved into crimson dust. Maybe she wasn't meant to be a dual wielder anyway… She held the small glowing red crystal in her hand. She could feel it breathe with her essence. And it's essence was… dark. But it was definitely hers and would be no others.

She returned to Maul, eager to place the red stone inside a lightsaber. Kairyn was anxious to have one of her own, feeling like she would be safer with one at her side. She had learned just how inadequate her dagger was.

Kairyn placed the single red crystal in his open palm for him to inspect. He turned it over and looked at it carefully. "Where is the other one?" He asked.

"The other was unsuccessful." She declared. He scrutinized her as if she had done something wrong.

"You will not be learning Jar'Kai." He concluded. If the force wasn't willing to grant her two crystals, then she wasn't meant to have two lightsabers.

Then, the crystal around her neck glowed with more intensity than usual. It lit the girl with a soft blue glow. Kairyn having noticed it, glanced toward her chest. She unclasped the necklace and studied her grandfather's lightsaber crystal. "I'm not so sure about that…" It called to her like it was also hers.

Maul snarled. He should have destroyed the crystal as soon as he realized what it was. "That's a jedi's crystal. It is useless to you." How was it that this crystal had chosen her? He didn't understand. After everything that he put her through before making her crystals, the jedi one chooses her? Preposterous. The apprentice of Darth Maul would wield one red saber... and one blue.

"It feels like an extension of me, just like the red one, though in a different way." She said, still wondering about her grandfather's crystal. She could feel that it reflected everything good in her. The two crystals were opposite in nature but together, they were her.

Maul growled. At every turn, she found a way to anger him. Why did she have to be so difficult!? He considered not allowing her to make a second lightsaber, but the force had led her to. The sith sighed heavily and escorted her to his work area. Without giving her any instructions, he left. As an arkanian, he expected her to figure it out.

At first, the hybrid didn't know where to start. She didn't know how a lightsaber worked but felt that with the right parts already here, that she could figure it out. Kairyn began to fiddle with different components, letting the force guide her. After a little while, she came up with something that might work. She placed the blue crystal in the weapon and then began again with the red crystal.

Soon, she had two objects that looked like lightsabers. In case it wasn't right, she didn't want to turn either of them on to see if they worked. There was no telling what an incorrectly constructed lightsaber might do to its wielder. Instead, she tracked down the zabrak, and had him look them over.

He handed them back to her with his approval. Excited that she had gotten it right, Kairyn pressed the activation button on the blue one. Out sprang a brilliant blue blade, illuminating the hybrid in cerulean light. She activated the red one, splashing her in crimson light that met the blue in a purple glow.

Darth Maul left her to her own devices. He didn't feel like babysitting the arkanian right now. Instead, he headed to the training room. He needed to clear his head.

* * *

The next couple of weeks, he practiced with her relentlessly. He pushed her until she just about passed out of exhaustion. The sith was going to hone her skills until she was deadly and probably then some.

Even though he taught her in the ways of the dark side, she fought a little like a jedi. It seemed that no matter what, she was going to be both light and dark. He was starting to wonder if she would always be like this. Would she ever be loyal to the dark side and the sith's Grand Plan? That night, Maul meditated.

The sith focused on all the times he had tried to bring out the dark in her. Even when he was sure he had pushed her over the edge, the light refused to be extinguished. There had to be something he was missing. Something prevented the dark side from completely penetrating her. There would be no figuring it out without her though. Somehow, he would need to search her for the answer. Once he had that information, he might better understand how to proceed with her.

But that would have to wait. Lord Sidious required Maul's service. He was to fly to Corellia to aid in a rebellion against the Republic. The rebels weren't nearly ready for what Sidious wanted them to do, but Maul guessed that was the point. His master chipped away at the Republic slowly by goading rebellions to act too early, letting them burn out. This way by the time he was ready, the Republic would be weakened and the galaxy would be more united when he took it.

Instead of leaving the girl on Mustafar, Maul decided to take her with him.

Once onboard his Infiltrator, Maul continued training his apprentice. Since there wasn't a whole lot of space in the starship, Maul couldn't effectively teach her more about saber combat. Instead, he would focus on her core strength. As a female, he was aware that she was very different than he was, but she should still be as strong as she could be. The sith's brute strength had saved his hide more than just once.

Kairyn wished he would just leave her alone. Did he really need to train her while en route to another planet? She had been training so hard the last couple of weeks.

The zabrak started to disrobe, exposing sprawling tattoos that disappeared under the waist of his pants. She had no idea that his tattoos were so extensive, and they perfectly accented his musclebound form. The zabrak was, in a way, beautiful.

"Like what you see?" He smirked conceitedly.

She met his eyes just for a brief moment, and then turned away from him. Embarrassment swiftly swept through her, coloring her cheeks a light pink. ' _I can't believe he caught me looking at him!'_ She kept telling herself that it wasn't like he thought it was. He just happened to be attractive.

His grin widened. It looked like his teasing had a lasting impression on his apprentice. He stepped closer to the female. "I'd suggest shedding any layers you can." He noticed her hesitation. "You don't have to worry about modesty anymore." He laughed. "I've already seen most of you."

Kairyn growled, recalling his intrusion in her shower not that long ago. She decided to stay as she was. "Suit yourself." The zabrak started showing her how to stretch, which she felt she already knew how to do. All the while stretching she behaved very much like a know-it-all to spite him. ' _So you're going to be like this? Very well.'_ Maul was going to break that attitude of hers, if only for today.

The sith had her doing a variety of exercises. Some that she was familiar with from her time in the cirque, and others very strange to her. But the intensity of this workout was something she had never approached before. He had her muscles straining until they gave out on her time and time again. Even though the air in the Infiltrator was frigid at best, she found her skin slick with sweat. Strands of unruly hair stuck to her face. The arkanian finally acquiesced to removing the tight fitting top she wore. A simple black sports bra remained.

Maul smirked, knowing that she would eventually do just this. "Better?" He asked mockingly. "Besides. You don't have anything to hide my apprentice." His eyes followed the top of the soft v shape of her hip bones.

Kairyn narrowed her eyes. "Am I distracting you?" She felt uncomfortable under his appreciative gaze.

The zabrak chuckled. "You think I'm distracted?" The thought amused him. He jumped right back into her training.

The rest of the day, he taught her more about hand to hand combat and made her practice longer than he probably should have. She felt absolutely ragged when they stopped for the night. But he did it because she had given him shit at every turn. By the end of the day, she was too tired to talk back.

* * *

When Maul came to wake her the next day, she was so sore that she could hardly move. She managed to sit upright but every muscle protested. "I feel like I got hit by a speeder" Kairyn hadn't even been this sore when she started training for Cirque.

Maul wanted to train her more today but he couldn't if tight muscles slowed her down. "Scoot forward." He commanded. The sith leaned on the cot behind her.

She felt his warm hands on her shoulders and tensed. "What are you doing?" He was very much in her personal space.

"I intend to continue your training today but you won't be effective like this. Now relax." He attempted to work her tight muscles into submission but she was still on edge.

"That hurts." She said, rolling her shoulders to try to remove him.

"It's supposed to." He gave her no reprieve, holding her more firmly. She had several bad knots that needed attention. He wondered how much of it was actually due to stress rather than yesterday's activities. "But the more you tense up, the more it'll hurt."

The pain started to ebb, but all too soon, he instructed her to lay on her stomach so he could continue with other areas.

Kairyn tried her best to relax but the pain he was bringing her made it difficult. She must have really been in bad shape for this to hurt so much. But it was his fault to begin with. And he was only doing this because he wanted to continue this crazy training. The hybrid wished that she could say no. This was insane. But she guessed it was what made him so strong…

She thought he would stop at her lower back, but he kept going lower, his touches becoming softer. "You're getting too low there." She hissed.

"Am I?" He slowly ran his hands over her ass, enjoying her athletic form. Kairyn jerked under his fondling, but Maul stopped her from getting up with a hand on her back. With a smirk she couldn't see, he told her, "I'm not done yet." He continued with her limbs, making sure she would be able to function alright once he finished. He would have liked to play with her more but he needed to get back to business.

The rest of the morning began like the previous one had. He worked her mercilessly through mid-day. Only when the starship came out of hyperspace did he let her rest. Kairyn sat in one of the passenger's seats and looked out at the blue and green marbled planet before them.

The Infiltrator descended upon the jungle terrain. Hidden among the trees was a clearing where other starships were parked. He slowed their speed and touched down onto a landing platform.

The zabrak retrieved his black robes, enveloping himself in the dark cloth before stepping out of the ship. Kairyn followed.

Once the zabrak landed the starship, an important looking man along with a few soldiers gathered at the end of the loading ramp. "Welcome to Corellia. I hope your journey was pleasant." The man, a human appearing in his forties, greeted. Kairyn almost snorted at his comment. "I am General Drago's closest adviser." He peered around the sith lord at Kairyn. "And who is this?" He asked, clearly not enthused about her presence.

Maul stepped aside and pulled her forward. "This is my apprentice. She will not be any trouble." He said with a darkness in his voice intended for her. She glared up at him but he paid her no attention.

"We were not informed that you would be bringing another with you." He replied, a frown on his face. "Our leader will not permit her to attend our scheduled meeting."

Maul scowled down at her. His golden eyes glowing underneath his hood. "Very well."

"Good." The adviser said all too briskly. "In the meantime, you may leave our apprentice in our care. Juro!" He called to one of the soldiers with him. A young nervous male stepped forward. "Show Lord Maul's apprentice around the facility." The adviser turned back to the sith lord. "Shall we?" He gestured forward. As he left with the man, Maul threw a warning glare over his shoulder toward Kairyn.

"Hi. My name's Juro… but you probably already knew that." He smiled sheepishly. How was this guy a soldier? "What's yours?"

"Kairyn." She said, while looking around the port. It was small and full of starships that had seen better days. They were rebels after all, she guessed, so it wasn't like they were getting government funding.

"So, this is our port. There's really nothing special about it." He laughed. "We should probably get inside before the dire cats come out anyway. What's really interesting is what's underneath it." He opened a door to a small building and ushered her inside.

The facility was impressive, she had to give them that. It was like a whole city existed underneath their port, so it really didn't look like much from the outside. She could see how this would be advantageous to their cause. They looked just like any other outpost in the jungle. But once Juro started droning on about little details that she didn't care about, she became bored. Her thoughts wandered.

' _How easy would it be to ditch him?'_ He seemed completely oblivious to her disinterest so he couldn't be paying much attention. ' _Either that or he really is completely enthralled with the inner workings of his rebel base. Maybe… just maybe I can use this opportunity. Maul's getting pushier and pushier with the dark side. And what he did the other night… I don't even want to think about it. It's getting to be too much. I need to get away from him. I need to find the Jedi.'_

She batted her lashes and softened her voice. "Juro?" She called coyly. "Would you show me the port again? I really do like starships." She pleaded him with a charming smile while playing with her hair.

"Of course!" He grinned brightly.

Kairyn followed him, all the while checking out her surroundings. "You know, my dad used to work on ships like this." She began light conversation while glancing around the shipyard, looking for anything that was about to leave. He responded appropriately, just as any other boring human would.

Suddenly, Maul sensed that his apprentice was up to something. For a moment, he paid attention to what he was feeling from her rather than the meeting that was taking place. ' _She had better be up there to return to the ship...'_ He sighed, knowing that this thought was far too optimistic. He continued to sense her intentions through the force as she walked through the shipyard.

The arkanian passed by a decent sized freighter that looked like it was getting ready to take off again. Earlier, she had seen it arrive, delivering several crates of unknown contents. She turned to Juro. "This jungle heat is starting to get to me. Is there any water nearby?"

"Yes! I'll go retrieve us some." He walked away.

Kairyn moved toward the freighter.

As she reached the loading ramp, his deep velvety voice filed her mind. "Kairyn." She stopped in her tracks. How was he even watching her right now!? ' _Aren't you in some meeting?'_

"I will tell you this only once…" His voice dripped with danger. "You step aboard that ship and you will be punished severely."

The sith was tied up at the moment and couldn't chase his apprentice around the galaxy. If she left, he would have to let her go for the time being. But he would catch up to her. Of that he was sure of.

Kairyn remembered what she endured the last time she thought about leaving, but this was a much better opportunity. ' _Sorry Maul.'_ She thought, knowing he would hear her. ' _But I'm taking back my life.'_ She heard an angered growl as she slipped into freighter's cargo hold, not looking back.

A couple minutes later, she was flying toward an unknown destination.

'Find the Jedi.'

* * *

 **I know it's been a while but life kind of decided to hit me in the face pretty hard. Oh well. I plan to continue writing though it may not be as fast now. As always, reviews are the best. They kind of make me really happy. :) Love you all!**


	8. Hunted

Kairyn's trip aboard the rebel ship hadn't been entirely without event. When she was discovered, she was taken to the captain who then contacted the base. After the base had been notified of the situation, surely word got to Maul. She could be sure of that. And then he would be on his way to collect her.

The captain ordered her to be held, to try to prevent her from causing any more trouble. Of course the arkanian escaped from her holdings numerous times to try to better her situation but she never got far. She didn't know how to hack into their navigation system and her skills as a sith assassin weren't nearly honed enough to persuade them to change their mind about her. She would just have to wait until a better opportunity arose.

She couldn't help but to worry about Maul catching up to her. At this point, there was a good chance that he would be able to nab her before she even got off this starship. The Infiltrator was more than likely faster. Thoughts of what would happen to her in the event swept through her mind but as quickly as they came, she brushed them away. Energy spent worrying was energy wasted. She had a challenge to overcome. Eventually Kairyn did come up with a plan. She just needed the right moment.

* * *

Three incredibly frustrating and stagnant days it took for the starship to reach its port. By the time the guards were ready to escort her to a detention area, Kairyn had already escaped the room And as soon as the cargo bay doors were opened, she was gone.

The hybrid quickly disappeared into the crowd. She hastened through the spaceport, leaving the crew to search for her in vain. Even Kairyn had no idea where she was. Was she on a planet or a spaceport? She paid attention to the ground and felt the vibrations of something with a large engine. Spaceport she confirmed, not that it mattered. She just needed to get out of here as fast as she could. If Maul was on her tail, she might not make it. Every second could count. Every now and then, she tossed a glance over her shoulder, making sure the black and red menace wasn't trailing her.

* * *

As Maul neared the port he searched for her through the force. He wasn't far behind - only a few minutes. Her presence tingled his senses. It wouldn't be long now, 'And when I catch up to her…' He could see the starship that she was on. He watched the vessel touch down and kept his eyes focused on the loading ramp. He fully expected these imbeciles to lose her. He wanted to at least know what direction she headed in when she escaped.

Sure enough, a slim figure with long dark hair darted out of the cargo hold, unaccompanied.

When he landed his infiltrator, he immediately disembarked to search for the girl. He traced her steps, his anger building. She would be wise to come quietly and accept her punishment now... before making it worse. He locked onto her force signature, letting his words penetrate her thoughts. "Kairyn…"

* * *

Dread filled Kairyn's senses. It felt like… like she was being hunted.

"You're only postponing… and worsening your punishment." A familiar dark voice pierced her attention.

She broke into a run.

"Get out of my head!" She mentally screamed at him. Kairyn found another starship and found its captain getting ready for takeoff. "I need to get out of here now." She glanced back, somewhat relieved she didn't spot the Sith Lord. "I can pay you substantially," Though he was a ways off, she could clearly feel his rage.

The man looked at her with a rather stunned look on his face. "Sure, sure, go ahead." He motioned to the ramp. He followed. "Where do you need to go?" He asked. "And what's troubling you darling?" Curiosity was written all over his face.

"Anywhere." After a moment, she realized that Maul was still close by and likely listening to her every thought to help him track her down. "It's best I don't know actually." She ignored his second question.

The captain raised a brow at the peculiar girl. "Alright." He started takeoff procedures.

* * *

He wouldn't be able to get to her in time. She was on the other side of the terminal, boarding another ship. He searched her thoughts, looking for the name of her destination. Nothing. He came up with nothing, which meant that she didn't know. He appreciated her cunning for a moment but then cursed as he watched her depart to somewhere unknown a second time. After interrogating some of the spaceport staff, he found that the ship belonged to a smuggler but not much else. It could be going anywhere… This wasn't going to be easy. He returned to the Infiltrator to meditate, resolved in finding her.

* * *

Her journey aboard this next vessel was a quiet one. The pilot was a kind man and didn't pry too much when she refused to answer his questions. She found out that he was a simple smuggler. He had just finished a job and happened to be free.

When she got to the next port, she didn't sense Maul anywhere near, but that didn't mean he wasn't. She paid the captain and then went on to the next starship. Four or five of these she figured would take her far away enough from him and make it almost impossible to find her.

As she wandered the port, a rather tall human male caught her attention. "You need a ride sweetheart?" He was well tanned, had intelligent eyes, and shoulder length dark hair. His attire indicated that he held a position of authority aboard the vessel he was offering.

"Yeah. How much to hitch a ride with you guys?" She had to admit, the guy was charming - totally her type too, not that it mattered.

"I won't charge you." He flashed her a handsome smile. "Come on up." He led her into The Avalon. "Now where are you headed to miss..." He trailed off, allowing her to fill in the blank.

"Farthou. Kairyn Farthou." She gave her first name in addition to her last because she wanted him to call her Kairyn. Miss Farthou was too formal.

"And I'm going wherever you are." Almost immediately she realized how desperate that sounded. "I'm trying to get lost so the destination doesn't matter."

He smirked at her embarrassment. Somehow he found it endearing. But then he thought of the meaning of her words. "You're running." He candidly stated. "I wonder what has such a beautiful girl like you so spooked. Mind sharing so I know what might be following my ship?" He adopted a very open, non-threatening posture.

She wanted to tell him but she couldn't trust him. "Regretfully I'm not at liberty to." Technically she could tell him but she figured this sounded more absolute and not up for discussion. He seemed too friendly and was a little too interested in her reasons for being here.. Kairyn started wondering about him. "May I have your name?"

"Roy Kaidwell." He smiled again, showing his perfect white teeth. "Captain of The Avalon." He held out his hand to her. When she placed her hand in his, he lightly kissed the back of it. "Welcome aboard."

* * *

The sith's meditations provided only a general direction in which she had gone. She was too far away to tell much more than that. 'Curse that damned girl…' His claws curled into his palms tightly.

As he stalked to the Infiltrator's control console, he thought of ways he could punish her. He could abandon her for a time, similar to her time on Korriban but with creatures he knew would harm her. He could physically punish her himself. That one was more than a little tempting. He could use it as an opportunity to practice his more intense interrogation skills.

But again he couldn't help to admire her ingenuity. She still had no idea where she was or where she was going which effectively prevented him from plucking that information from her mind. If he could tame her, she would make a clever apprentice.

* * *

Roy's starship was a modified YZ-775 medium transport. He had gutted non-essential rooms to make space for more cargo and he had outfitted it with the finest dual-drive system he could get his hands on. While touring the starship, Kairyn found that it was also heavily armed. "Run into a lot of trouble out here?" She commented, wanting to find out what kind of a smuggler needed a double turbolaser turret, two double laser cannon turrets, and two proton torpedo tubes.

He seemed a little hesitant but he answered, raking a hand through his hair. "Well, when I take on higher profile jobs, sometimes other smugglers, even bounty hunters will come after me." She appeared concerned so he quickly followed with, "But I'm not carrying anything right now." Another charming smile. "How about a drink now that you've seen all there is to see? Come with me."

His smile was getting distracting. Kairyn wanted to be suspicious of him but she also wanted to let go of her worry. 'He's just the first attractive guy I've seen in awhile.' She reminded herself. In the back of her mind, she corrected that statement to the second attractive guy and quickly dismissed the thought. Maul was a monster.

Kairyn followed him into a lounge like area. They both sat down while Roy had one of his crew members prepare the drinks.

They enjoyed themselves, just talking and drinking, for several hours. Roy's crew seemed to be full of life and great stories. And the more she drank, the more at ease with them she became. The captain was even full on flirting with her now, an arm resting around her shoulders. Kairyn found herself leaning into him. His scent was nice and he was warm.

The last time she was with someone had been years ago. She had a couple of relationships that ended badly and the occasional fling, but she had pretty much lost interest in looking for a husband. She figured she didn't need more heartbreak in her life. But she had forgotten how good this felt. It might have been from the alcohol but she was letting herself enjoy this.

Kairyn and the captain kept talking, even after most of the others had retired. Roy kept urging her to drink and talk more about herself. Even pretty intoxicated, Kairyn tiptoed around anything she felt he didn't need to know. She stuck to inconsequential topics and skillfully skirted around anything else.

Roy had taken to playing with her hair, stroking her back, generally making her feel more at ease. She didn't realize how close he had gotten to her until she was staring right into his deep brown eyes. And by then, it was too late for her to back away.

His kiss was hesitant and gentle. His lips were softer than she expected them to be. But then again, what was she expecting? 'Is this really happening?' He pulled her closer. She let him, surrendering to the moment. 'This is happening…' She hazily thought as she allowed him to deepen the kiss.

The intensity grew fast. Soon she found herself needing to surface for air. She looked at him, bewildered by what just happened.

He chuckled and brushed her hair out of her face. "I don't know much about you, Kairyn, but so far, I'm intrigued."

She didn't want to talk about herself. There was so much that he would never know - couldn't know. She just wanted to enjoy the moment. "Other than running, I'm kind of boring." She said as his lips pressed against hers again.

"I doubt that." He said, his tone raspy.

Roy shifted her underneath him. He kissed her slowly again. 'Crisis averted' For now at least. He seemed more interested in showing affection than prying at the moment.

His lips crashed into hers again and again. It had been quite a while since the hybrid had been with anyone. She had forgotten how amazing it felt. She moved against him involuntarily. She didn't notice but he definitely did. He aligned his hips with hers and firmly let her feel how aroused he was.

Kairyn immediately froze, realizing what she had done. He stared at her, sensing her reluctance. "I can tell you want to go further." His tone was thick with need. His hands wandered down her sides and to her chest. She whimpered breathily and became quickly embarrassed. She tried to stifle any further sounds but was unsuccessful as he doubled his efforts, rolling his hips into hers with more urgency. "You deserve this." She could feel his breath on her neck and his growing erection between her thighs.

She felt a strong hand slide downward. She gently placed her own over it to stop him. He respected the boundary she set but was still very much trying to convince her.

This continued for a few minutes before Roy scooped her up in his arms and lifted her. She was surprised by the sudden move. "Where are you taking me?" She asked, feeling a little unsteady in his arms.

"Somewhere more private." He smiled sweetly and tightened his grip before leaving the common area.

His quarters were ornately furnished with deep reds and golds. He lightly tossed her onto his bed and then covered her body with his. "Even if you won't allow me to bed you, I'd like to share it with you while you're aboard my ship." He leaned over her, his hair tickling her neck. She felt his lips at her ear. He sucked on it gently and then bit. She responded to everything he did. This man definitely knew how to please a woman.

"I can't get involved with a man right now, Roy…" Her back bowed off the bed, needing to be near him.

He reacted by pressing his hips into hers, drawing a moan of pleasure from the hybrid. "It doesn't have to mean anything, love."

Her dark eyes looked up into his. "No strings attached?"

"Your call." He nibbled at the most sensitive part of her neck.

After quickly considering his offer, she almost inaudibly whispered, "Alright."

* * *

The past couple hours were amazing. She had never felt pleasure like that in her life. It made her consider what a life like this would be like. Could she realistically pursue this man? He slept soundly next to her, the sound of his even breaths soothing. Maybe she could. She figured they were a few days from wherever they were going so she would have a little more time to think about it, if he even wanted it. He didn't shut out the idea though… And she could honestly see the potential to be happy with this man.

Kairyn moved close to him. He stirred but only to wrap his arm over her. Against his warm chest, she fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

Everything felt very stiff. The only extremities that were responding were her fingers. Her neck ached. Come to think of it, everything felt plain wrong. He couldn't have been that rough with her.

When she tried to move she felt an unyielding resistance. Her eyes shot open to completely alien surroundings. A dark room with no windows and a heavy steel door. This was definitely not where she fell asleep. Roy was nowhere to be seen. She was bound in an upright position. Her chest heaved with fear. She called the force to her but it was eerily silent for the first time in her life. What had happened? How did she get here? Was she drugged? She did feel much more groggy than should have been normal. Why did this happen? Where was Roy?

"Roy!" She called out, her voice cracking at first.

No response.

"ROY!" She yelled.

Still nothing.

The last thing she remembered was falling asleep in his arms. It was so peaceful… she should have known something was wrong.

Kairyn glanced down at herself and realized that she was very scantily clad. Her breasts were covered by a thin black silky fabric embroidered in gold. At her waist hung a bikini-style piece that matched. Two silk veils were draped from the front and back. _'Oh no he didn't.'_ She seethed at this indignation.

As if on cue, her lover entered her cell. Her eyes locked onto his. If a stare could kill, he would be dead.

"I assume you're wondering why, how, and wanting to kill me." He hung his head but he wasn't hiding from her. He was thinking.

"If you think you're going to get away with this-" She was cut off.

"Save your breath sweetheart. You don't think I've heard it all before?" Roy was not new to making slaves out of women. Though he didn't intend to make this one a slave at first, he discovered something about her this morning that he couldn't pass up.

"I see why you were so secretive with me. I woke before you did. Went to the common area to grab your things and bring them to you. Can you guess what I found among them?" He was pacing in front of her, as if he had something to be angry with her about. This set her off even more.

"I found not one but two lightsabers, meaning I found a jedi." She didn't correct him. "And I have a client who is willing to pay out the ass for a female jedi slave." He faced her, open palmed. "I couldn't pass it up." He clapped his hands together. "So here you are, all ready to be sold off for a fortune."

"I do have to say, my time with you last night was _wonderful_. You're going to make my buyer very happy."

She growled. "I will kill you for this!"

He was rather surprised at her anger. Weren't jedi supposed to be non-violent people? This was uncharacteristic of a jedi. Perhaps she was an apprentice still. "I don't think so, Kairyn. You may or may not have noticed the collar around your neck but it negates your connection to the force. You are completely helpless."

"Mark my words Roy!" She was deadly serious. She had no idea how in this moment, but a transgression this great could not go unvanquished.

"Keep thinking that dollface." He left the room without another word.

Kairyn jerked her bonds as hard as she could and shrieked with all her might.

* * *

 **Hey guys! I know it's been like twelve years and this chapter is long overdue. I don't know when the next will be out but for the moment I am writing again. As always, reviews are amazing. They really do make me happy. Like, you should see me squee at some of the nice things you guys say. :3**


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